Rhode Island tornado risk
Providence County has the highest tornado risk in Rhode Island, scoring 78.3 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence County | 78.3 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 2 | Kent County | 39.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 3 | Washington County | 29.4 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 4 | Newport County | 17 | Very Low | 1 |
| 5 | Bristol County | 12.9 | 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.
Tornado risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Rhode Island:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest tornado risk county in Rhode Island?
Providence County, RI has the highest tornado risk in Rhode Island, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 78.3 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Moderate").
What causes tornado risk in Rhode Island?
Tornado risk concentrates in the central and southern plains ("Tornado Alley") and the Southeast ("Dixie Alley"), where atmospheric conditions favor supercell thunderstorm development. The highest scores often belong to counties with significant mobile home and manufactured housing stock, which carries disproportionate tornado mortality risk.