The East Providence Emergency Management Agency (EPEMA), housed within the East Providence Fire Department, plans and prepares for natural and manmade disasters. Our agency educates the public, coordinates evacuations and the opening of shelters, and provides weather support for the city. EPEMA works closely with other federal, state, and local agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), and the Rhode Island Department of Health, as well as nonprofits like the Red Cross on emergency management initiatives and response efforts.
EMA News and Activity
Emergency Preparedness information is available here, through the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Rhode Island Special Needs Emergency Registry:
Enrolling in the Special Needs Emergency Registry lets police, fire, and other first responders in your community better prepare for and respond to your needs during a hurricane, storm, or other emergency.
Many people may need extra help during a time of emergency, including people who:
- Use life support systems such as oxygen, respirator, ventilator, dialysis, pacemaker, or who have chronic conditions and require treatment (e.g., diabetics requiring insulin);
- Have mobility needs and use a wheelchair, scooter, walker, cane, or other mobility device;
- Are visually impaired, blind, hard of hearing, or Deaf;
- Have speech, cognitive, developmental or behavioral health disabilities; or
- Use assistive animals or a prosthesis.
The information submitted to the Rhode Island Special Needs Emergency Registry is shared with local and state first responders and emergency management officials. Your information is held confidentially and only accessed to assist in your safety and well-being. The Department of Health and RIEMA have worked with E-911 to notify first responders when they are responding to a household that may have someone enrolled in the Registry. While enrolling in the special needs registry does not guarantee assistance, this notification allows first responders additional time to consider how to best respond to that incident. Please note that strict confidentiality is maintained at all times and only those who have a reason to access the information are authorized to do so.
Power Outages
To report a power outage, call 1-800-465-1212 during busy outage times. To report an odor of natural gas, call 1-800-640-1595. For updates on outages, view National Grid's Power Outage Map. When there are outages, the restoration times shown are subject to change, so use this with caution for short-term guidance.
National Weather Service Updates
National Weather Service (NWS) displays all weather watches and warnings for the southern New England area on a regional map and provides forecasts and discussions and contains inforrmation to other NOAA weather-related information. For local NWS Watch/Warning criteria, see this list of National Weather Service Warning Thresholds.
Hazard Mitigation
The 2017 FEMA-approved East Providence Hazard Mitigation Plan
Red Cross
East Providence High School is the official Red Cross regional emergency shelter during a disaster. In times when a shelter is needed, but demand will be limited, the East Providence Senior Center may also be used.
Community Rating System
The City of East Providence is enrolled in FEMA's "Community Rating System" (CRS), which provides a discount on federal flood insurance premiums for East Providence standard-rate policyholders. The discount for all standard-rate policies is 10 percent. Please call our office if you have any questions, or if you believe that the 10 percent discount is not reflected on your bill.
All Rhode Island cities and towns participate in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program, which allows residents and business owners to purchase federally-backed flood insurance. FEMA's Floodsmart website includes clear and detailed information on this program. Our office is available to answer general questions on this program, including whether a property is in the FEMA 100-year floodplain, which particular zone it is in, and your nearby base flood elevation. We can also answer inquiries regarding other natural hazards, flood-related or not.
Floodplain Mapping
Need a quick idea of what flood zone you may be in? Click here for the Rhode Island Flood Mapping Tool from RI Emergency Management. Zoom in on East Providence and as you get closer in, the FEMA flood zones will appear. The regulatory flood zone is in dark blue. This is for reference only, but it's very accurate and a great place to start. Call our office at the number above if you need a flood zone determination.
Coastal Flooding
FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers works with the City to produce the East Providence Hurricane Inundation Map, based on the potential for tidewater flooding resulting from a direct hit from hurricanes of Categories 1, 2, 3 or 4.
City of East Providence Floodplain Ordinance (Adopted by City Council August 20, 2013): Chapter 19, Zoning; Section 19-306 through 19-315, Special Flood Hazard Areas.
