North Kingstown moves up in FEMA floodplain rating as residents press resilience steps

North Kingstown’s planning staff announced on June 9 that the town has improved its Community Rating System (CRS) classification with FEMA from Class 9 to Class 7, a change that increases flood-insurance discounts for affected policyholders and reflects increased municipal efforts on floodplain management.

"We finally got our official letter from the community rating system ... we are at a step 7," Nicole Lafontaine, director of planning and development, told the council, noting the upgrade produces a larger discount for flood-insurance policyholders (the town’s step change moves the discount from about 5% under the program to roughly 15% for affected policies).

The announcement came amid multiple presentations and public comments focused on climate resilience. Climate Conversations, a local volunteer group, showed a photography exhibit and described community workshops on coastal flooding, insurance impacts and household resilience measures. "We decided that it would be great to do some kind of, like, educational workshops," said Sally Kingsbury of Climate Conversations.

The Wickford Advisory Committee (WAC) also reported resident feedback gathered at a November forum; WAC member Pierce Nixon said 42 residents attended and prioritized four issues: traffic and pedestrian safety, harbor planning, vacant buildings, and climate resilience. The committee recommended the town work with RIDOT to confirm sidewalk continuity along West Main Street, coordinate with the police department on speed enforcement near crosswalks, and consider a long-term harbor plan addressing mooring and breakwater repair.

Lafontaine summarized why the CRS rating matters in practical terms: North Kingstown has roughly 1,138 buildings in FEMA-mapped special flood-hazard areas and about 500 flood-insurance policies. She told the council roughly 51% of those policies are in A and V flood zones (the highest-mapped risk areas) and the remainder are in X zones. The town earned a significant proportion of its new CRS points from open-space protections, solar-management rules and improved planning and outreach, Lafontaine said. She added that completing a reviewed hazard-mitigation plan with the state and FEMA should gain the town additional points and could move the town closer to Class 6.

Councilors and the town manager expressed willingness to work with volunteer groups and civic committees on resilience planning. Manager Ralph Mullis said the council is "a willing partner" and that climate resilience is appearing across project discussions, from waterfront work to school projects that include net-zero planning.

Community speakers urged continued steps to plan for sea-level rise and to institutionalize resilience work. Pierce Nixon and other WAC members asked for improved public information on harbor planning and town-owned property redevelopment timelines; Mary Warbeck and others suggested creating a dedicated municipal resilience office or committee similar to those in other Rhode Island towns.

Nicole Lafontaine said outreach and written materials for homeowners and businesses will be available through the planning office and that the town already distributes related resources at municipal locations and events. "If you call the planning department, we're provided to direct you to certain resources," she said. "You can also call your insurance agent directly for more information."