To Strengthen RI Storm Defenses, Reed Helps Deliver $5.6M for Upgrades to Fox Point Hurricane Barrier

PROVIDENCE, RI - With peak Atlantic hurricane season approaching, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today joined Providence Mayor Brett P. Smiley and members of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation to discuss hurricane preparedness and proactive investments to strengthen the City of Providence's defense against storm surges.

During the event, Senator Reed highlighted $6.3 million in new federal funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to upgrade the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier is a joint flood protection project managed by both the federal government along with the City of Providence, which maintains over 2,100 feet of floodwalls and gates on either side of river.

The hurricane barrier provides protection against tidal flooding from hurricanes and other major storms to approximately 280 acres of downtown Providence. The protected area includes the City's commercial and industrial center, transportation facilities, public utilities, and many homes and businesses.

"The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier is a critical shield that is designed to prevent the worst storm surges from inundating the city. The facility is critically important to protecting thousands of lives and hundreds of acres of real estate. For decades, this system has helped protect the city and we must continue to proactively invest in keeping it in a state of good repair," said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee. "The federal funding announced today includes $5.65 million from an earmark that U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and I delivered for the replacement of electrical switchgear, repairs to river pump mechanical systems, and other operations and maintenance."

Built in 1966, the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier consists of a 25-foot-high central dam stretching 700 feet across the Providence River with hydraulic gates that can be lowered to prevent floodwaters and storm surges from entering the city.

After Hurricane Katrina hit the southern U.S. in August of 2005, the federal government undertook a careful review of critical flood control systems around the country. A determination was made that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should take management and financial responsibility for the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. Senator Reed led the successful effort to include a provision in the 2007 national defense bill that led to the official transfer of ownership of the hurricane barrier from the City of Providence to USACE, which was completed in 2010 and has saved Providence taxpayers millions of dollars over the years.

USACE now owns and operates the core structures within the banks of the river while the City of Providence retains ownership and operates the onshore infrastructure.

Since 2009, Senator Reed has helped secure over $25 million in federal funding for the operation and maintenance of the hurricane barrier, and secured language in the 2014 Water Resources Development Act that allows Waterfire and other organizations to pay the Corps to operate the barrier to support cultural and recreational events.

Reed noted that during Hurricane Carol (1954) and the Hurricane of 1938, downtown Providence was under water. Together, those storms caused hundreds of millions in damages in terms of today's dollars. And during Hurricanes Gloria (1985) and Bob (1991) the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier prevented downtown water inundations of 4 feet and 2 feet.

Aside from warding off physical damage, the barrier also protects the City from potentially higher flood insurance premiums.

2026 Hurricane Outlook: Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and runs through November 30. So far this year, the Atlantic hurricane season has produced five named storms but not a hurricane. NOAA's updated mid-season outlook projects 7 to 13 named storms, 2 to 6 hurricanes, and 0 to 2 major hurricanes for the full 2026 season.

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