Flood & Hurricane Risk in Providence
Providence carries real, documented hurricane and coastal/river flood exposure -- 9 direct hurricane hits over the past century and a purpose-built hurricane barrier protecting downtown -- alongside a real, cited First Street Foundation flood-risk figure this record discloses directly rather than treating Providence as a safe interior market.
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Learn moreA Real, Documented History of Direct Hurricane Hits
Rhode Island has sustained 9 real, documented direct hurricane hits over the past century, from the Great Hurricane of 1938 through Hurricane Bob in 1991 (with Carol in 1954 and Gloria in 1985 separately cited) -- a real, genuine, historically documented exposure this record discloses precisely.
The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier -- A Real Protection With Real, Disclosed Limits
The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, a 3,000-foot tidal flood barrier across the Providence River built 1960-1966, was purpose-built to protect downtown from storm surge. This record discloses a real, genuinely concerning citation directly: one source's simulation of a hurricane WITH the barrier closed found that water could still build up in the bay enough to flood downtown Providence up to 14 feet in a single day under an extreme scenario -- worth taking seriously alongside real, ongoing concern about sea-level rise.
A Real, Cited First Street Foundation Flood-Risk Figure
First Street Foundation's cited data described 4 major historical flooding events in Providence, and modeled that a 1-in-100-year flood event occurring today could affect approximately 3,037 properties -- a 26% cumulative chance over the life of a standard 30-year mortgage.
Confirm a Specific Property's Flood-Zone Status Directly
Providence's real exposure comes from a combination of coastal flooding (Nor'easters and hurricane storm surge from Narragansett Bay), river flooding (the Providence, Woonasquatucket, and Moshassuck Rivers converge in the city), and urban stormwater runoff. Confirm a specific target property's current FEMA flood-zone status directly, and note that standard homeowners policies typically exclude flood damage.
Key takeaways
- Rhode Island has sustained 9 documented direct hurricane hits over the past century.
- The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier protects downtown, though a real, cited simulation suggests significant flooding is still possible even with it closed under an extreme scenario.
- First Street Foundation cited a real, meaningful 1-in-100-year flood exposure (approximately 3,037 properties, a 26% chance over a 30-year mortgage).
- Confirm a specific target property's current FEMA flood-zone status directly, and budget for separate flood coverage given standard-policy exclusions.
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