Rhode Island drought risk
Washington County has the highest drought risk in Rhode Island, scoring 43.5 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington County | 43.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 2 | Newport County | 42 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 3 | Providence County | 34.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 4 | Kent County | 23.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 5 | Bristol County | 16.9 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Drought risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Rhode Island:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest drought risk county in Rhode Island?
Washington County, RI has the highest drought risk in Rhode Island, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 43.5 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Low").
What causes drought risk in Rhode Island?
Drought risk captures expected annual losses from prolonged precipitation deficits affecting agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. High scores cover the western Great Plains, Southwest, and California's Central Valley. Climate change is increasing drought frequency and severity across much of the US, with multi-year droughts becoming more common in the West.