2,399 flood insurance claims·$51.2M paid·4 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Washington County, Rhode Island. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Washington County experiences a flood risk profile dominated by general riverine flooding and coastal flooding events. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 26 general flood events, 15 coastal flood events, 8 tropical storms, and 7 flash flood events. Recent severe weather illustrates these hazards, such as a January 2024 low pressure system that brought strong southeast winds and rain resulting in widespread river and coastal flooding, as well as a May 2024 low pressure system that produced heavy rainfall, including 6.54 inches in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
FEMA National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that properties in high-risk coastal and riverine zones bear the heaviest financial impacts. Zone A accounts for 1,351 claims with an average payout of $26,398 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. Zone V accounts for 593 claims with an average payout of $45,103 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Meanwhile, moderate-to-low risk Zone X properties recorded 216 claims with an average payout of $10,412 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches.
Coastal property owners, residents living near rivers, and owners of properties in designated special flood hazard zones should pay the closest attention to these risks, given the higher frequency and payout severity associated with coastal and riverine flooding in the county.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
10% of Washington County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
2,172 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 6 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2012, with 857 claims and $32.0M paid, the year of Hurricane Sandy.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
33 NOAA storm reports from Washington County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Rhode Island flood stories →
25 federal disaster declarations since 1978, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jan 9, 2024 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Dec 17, 2023 |
| Queens River Fire | Apr 14, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 28, 2022 |
| Hurricane Henri | Aug 20, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 26, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Feb 8, 2013 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
56 since 1996: 7 flash floods, 26 river or area floods and 15 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 26, 2024 | — |
| Flood | May 16, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 13, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jan 10, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 23, 2022 | $5,000 |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 23, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Sep 13, 2022 | $300 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 26, 2024. A cold pool aloft and surface front caused a round of strong to severe storms over all of southern New England. Hail from 1 to 2 inches fell in MA, RI, and CT while localized flash flooding was observed in southern RI and MA.
Flood · May 16, 2024. Low pressure south of southern New England brought widespread moderate to heavy rain to the region during the morning. The heaviest was centered in eastern CT, northern and |central RI into south coastal MA where a nearly stationary band of rain produced hourly rain rates of about a half-inch per hour. Some of the highest totals were 5.09 inches of rain in Westport, MA, 6.54 inches in South Kingstown, RI.
Coastal Flood · Jan 13, 2024. A low pressure system over the southern Plains strengthened significantly as it reached the eastern Great Lakes. This placed New England on the warm side of the storm with strong SE winds and rain instead of snow. This lead to widespread river flooding and coastal flooding on both the south and east coasts of southern New England. The heaviest rain fell over eastern CT, RI, and eastern MA with totals of 1 to 3 inc…
Flood · Jan 10, 2024. A negatively tilted mid level trough swung through New England while at the surface a low pressure center passed directly over southern New England. This inland runner brought warm air so that all precipitation fell as rain, along with strong winds. There was a good deal of tree damage from the winds and widespread river flooding with many rivers going into major flood stage. Much of Rhode Island received 2 to 5 i…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Washington County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.