Photo: Juliancolton · Public domainStorms, floods and disasters in Misquamicut
Misquamicut isn’t graded for hazard risk: Misquamicut has 348 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 594 claims here since 1978.
What Misquamicut faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Coastal flooding
Hurricanes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Misquamicut flood? Yes: 594 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Misquamicut, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Sandy335 claims · $19.4M
- Hurricane Bob53 claims · $873K
- The March 2010 nor’easter34 claims · $205K
Misquamicut isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Washington County.The storms Misquamicut remembers
None of the 17 disasters declared for Washington County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Misquamicut itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 2012335 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Sandy, declared for Washington County
- 199171 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Bob, declared for Washington County
- 201035 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Washington County
Washington County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Washington County, 2023–2023.
Old photos of Misquamicut after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Misquamicut archive →Misquamicut and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watch Hill | — | 203 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Misquamicut faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
- Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
- Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Misquamicut
Does Misquamicut flood?
Flood insurance has paid 594 claims in Misquamicut since 1978, $22.9M in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Sandy (335).
Is Misquamicut in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Washington County, 49% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 6.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Misquamicut?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Misquamicut’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Misquamicut?
By flood claims, Hurricane Sandy: 335 paid, $19.4M.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Misquamicut.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Misquamicut’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.