Providence Mayor Brett Smiley outlines a list of measures his administration is taking to prepare for hurricanes and extreme flooding during a press conference on Monday, July 1, 2024. To his left are City Councilors John Gonçalves and Sue AnderBois. To Smiley’s right is Providence Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director David Radcliffe. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
With blue skies, mild temperatures and a slight breeze, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and other city officials stood near the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier Monday with their eyes set on the southern portion of the Atlantic Ocean.
“We have a beautiful morning here this morning, but it is also the time to get prepared for the start of hurricane season,” Smiley told reporters gathered near the barrier. “We know the first major storm of the season is happening right now in the Caribbean.”
He was referring to Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall in the island nation of Grenada Monday morning. While the storm isn’t projected to make it out of the Gulf of Mexico, Providence officials let residents know what mitigation efforts are in effect should a hurricane hit Rhode Island’s capital city — namely from potential floods.
“Providence is already experiencing the effects of climate change,” Providence Emergency Management Agency Director Clara Decerbo said at the press conference. “This has resulted in an increase in extreme weather events, and is one of the reasons we are forecasting a particularly dangerous hurricane season this year.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic Basin this year — with a forecasted range of 17 to 25 named storms. But how many of those predicted storms would make their way to New England remains a big question.
“The research is ongoing in being able to make seasonal predictions as to likelihood of landfall — but it’s not there yet,” NOAA spokesperson Erica Grow-Cei said in an interview with Rhode Island Current.
The chance of a major tropical storm or hurricane hitting Rhode Island depends on how warm the waters of the Northern Atlantic are. Grow-Cei said storms “feed off of” warm temperatures to strengthen.
The deeper the warm water, the stronger a storm can get, she added.
“If it’s just like a narrow or shallow pool — once that wind gets stirring on top of it — it’s going to start to mix in the colder water underneath, and the storm can’t maintain its energy as effectively,” Grow-Cei said.
The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier stands open on Monday, July 1, 2024. The 25-foot barrier is meant to keep storm surges from flooding downtown Providence. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
The last hurricane to directly hit Providence was Hurricane Carol in 1954, which flooded the city under 12 feet of water. The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.
Hurricane Bob hit Rhode Island in 1991, but downtown Providence was spared from the storm surge thanks to the Fox Point Hurricane barrier, which is designed to protect up to 20 feet. The barrier itself is 25 feet high.
“We also know that it’s been a long time since Providence has seen a direct hit from a major hurricane,” Smiley said. “And so, we act as if we need to be prepared as if it’s happening this summer, and then hope that it doesn’t.”
Part of that planning, the Mayor said, is via the ongoing $3-million project to repair portions of the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier by the city and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Major repairs to the hurricane barrier street gates on Allens Avenue and at the Manchester Street Power Station are scheduled for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, city spokesperson Josh Estrella said in an email Monday afternoon.
The barrier would only prevent major flooding in downtown Providence, the mayor acknowledged.
“There’s actually quite a bit of the city that’s not protected by the hurricane barrier,” he said. That includes South Providence, along with the Port of Providence.
We also know that it’s been a long time since Providence has seen a direct hit from a major hurricane. And so, we act as if we need to be prepared as if it’s happening this summer, and then hope that it doesn’t.
– Providence Mayor Brett Smiley
Decerbo said the Providence Emergency Management Agency is developing a Hazard Mitigation Plan for the rest of the city — something residents can provide comments on through Monday, July 29.
But it’s not just flooding from hurricanes that city officials are trying to reduce. Even less intensive rain and thunderstorms have wreaked havoc on Providence’s streets.
“We’re seeing streets turn into rivers where that has never happened before,” said City Councilor Sue AnderBois, who also works as director of climate and government relations for The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island.
Part of that issue is caused by blocked drainage systems, which Smiley hopes to address with a dedicated three-member sewer team. The new team was created via a $136,000 allocation in the city’s fiscal year 2025 budget Smiley signed on June 28.
Last year, the city invested $1.2 million to inspect 24 miles of sewer and drainage pipes, Estrella said. He added that pipe replacement is expected to be completed some time this year, with lining rehabilitation extending into the 2025.
Six more miles of sewage and drainage pipes are also scheduled to be inspected some time this year.
“Additionally, we have dredged canals in flood-prone areas,” Smiley told reporters.
For a long-term solution, AnderBois said the city needs to invest in more green infrastructure.
“Our gray infrastructure is quite old,” AnderBois said. “We’re never going to fix it with more pipes.”
Environmental advocates have called on the city to plant 30,000 new trees, which they say would remove 38,000 pounds of pollution from the air and prevent 10.4 million gallons of polluted stormwater from entering waterways. About 27% of Providence is covered by trees.
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