R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-27.3-100.1.5.5: Hurricane, storm, and flood standards.

The state building code standards committee has the authority, in consultation with the building code commissioner, to adopt, maintain, amend, and repeal code provisions, which shall be reasonably consistent with recognized and accepted standards and codes, including for existing buildings, for storm and flood resistance. The code provisions shall, to the extent reasonable and feasible, take into account climatic changes and potential climatic changes and sea level rise and inundation areas below dams classified by the department of environmental management as high hazard, significant hazard, or low hazard. Flood velocity zones may incorporate freeboard calculations adopted by the Coastal Resources Management Council pursuant to its power to formulate standards under the provisions of § 46-23-6.