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Hazard Mitigation and Flood Protection
New Shoreham is vulnerable to many hazards, including hurricanes, thunderstorms, high winds, winter related hazards, flood related hazards and coastal erosion, among others.
The Block Island Hazard Mitigation Plan was adopted by the Town Council on July 5, 2017 and approved by FEMA on July 27, 2017. A copy of the Plan is available digitally on the town website and printed copies are available to review at Town Hall or the Library. In 2022, the Town received a FEMA BRIC grant to prepare the required 5-year update to the 2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan and that work is underway. Other planning documents related to hazard mitigation and flood protection are located on the Land Use Page.
Community Rating System
New Shoreham met the criteria to gain entrance into the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) in 2019 at a Class 8 rating. Participation within this program demonstrates the Town’s commitment to floodplain management, property protection and public safety and grants New Shoreham property owners a discount on their flood insurance premiums. As a Class 8 CRS community, New Shoreham flood insurance policyholders in special flood hazard areas receive a 10% discount on their flood insurance premium and policyholders in zones outside of special flood hazard areas receive a 5% discount on their flood insurance premium. As part of the Town’s CRS annual recertification, the Town conducts community outreach activities such as direct mailings to property owners regarding flood insurance and dune protection notices in publications of general circulation.
Available Documents
Resources & Links
The links below provide additional information on hazard mitigation and flood protection.
NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) https://www.floodsmart.gov/
FEMA (U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Federal Emergency Management Agency) https://www.fema.gov/
Rhode Island Coastal Property Guide
http://www.beachsamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Rhode-Island-Coastal-Property-Guide-2014.pdf
Rhode Island Statewide Planning – Sea Level Rise
http://www.planning.ri.gov/planning-areas/climate-change/sea-level-rise.php
Maps & Mapping Tools
Rhode Island Floodplain Mapping Tool for convenient access to FEMA FIRM special flood hazards areas.
http://www.riema.ri.gov/resources/citizens/mitigation/mapping.php
STORMTOOLS provide interactive maps detailing various sea level rise and storm surge scenarios across Rhode Island. The maps were created by the CRMC and the University of Rhode Island for planning purposes.
http://www.beachsamp.org/stormtools/
Rapid Pace Story Map is an online interactive map for the general public to assess their property.
http://www.beachsamp.org/relatedprojects/pace/
Official FEMA Flood Insurance Rate (FIRM) Maps may be viewed on the GIS page of this site