Alert archive / Rhode Island / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 12, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

September 13, 2026Bristol County, Massachusetts; 5 counties in Rhode Island

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this flash flood warning at Sep 13, 2026, 10:46 AM EDT for Bristol County, Massachusetts; 5 counties in Rhode Island. It was in force for 3 hr. 9 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Sep 13, 2026, 10:46 AM EDT (14:46 UTC)
Expired
Sep 13, 2026, 1:45 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Bristol County, MA, Bristol County, RI, Kent County, RI, Newport County, RI, Providence County, RI, Washington County, RI

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 43 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:51 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Sep 13, 11:20 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Nw West Warwick, RIIn West Warwick, a basement apartment flooded and basement apartments were evacuated. Relayed by amateur radio.
Sep 13, 11:27 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD3 S Somerset, MAIn Fall River, major flooding was reported on Plymouth Ave. Relayed by amateur radio.
Sep 13, 11:33 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD3 S Somerset, MAIn Fall River, the Route 24 SB on ramp to I-95 was closed due to 1 foot of street flooding. Relayed by amateur radio.
Sep 13, 11:36 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD2 W West Greenwich, RIIn West Greenwich Nooseneck Hill Rd was flooded and impassable. Relayed by amateur radio.
Sep 13, 11:45 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD2 S Providence, RIIn Cranston, Reservoir Ave was flooded.
Sep 13, 11:45 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD3 S Somerset, MAIn Fall River, North Main St, Davol St, Oman St, and Grinnell St had flooding. A car was stuck in flooding on Russell Brogan Blvd and New Boston Rd. Relayed by amateur radio.
Sep 13, 11:50 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD2 S Providence, RIIn Providence, Huntington Ave was flooded. Relayed by amateur radio.
Sep 13, 12:10 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Ne West Warwick, RIIn West Warwick, several homes were reported to have flooded on Newell Street. Relayed by amateur radio.
Sep 13, 1:30 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 W Tf Green Ap, RIIn Warwick, a car was stuck in street flooding and the road was impassible on Coastaway Blvd near Metro Center Blvd. Relayed via amateur radio.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 9 storm reports to this flash flood warning; the first came 34 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Brookhaven, NY (KOKX), launched 12:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 146 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-09-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 677 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-09-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 103 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
677 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
475 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
103 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
115 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
2.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

128 
WGUS51 KBOX 131446
FFWBOX
MAC005-RIC001-003-005-007-009-131745-
/O.NEW.KBOX.FF.W.0012.260913T1446Z-260913T1745Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
1046 AM EDT Sun Sep 13 2026

The National Weather Service in Norton has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Southwestern Bristol County in southeastern Massachusetts...
  Bristol County in Rhode Island...
  Kent County in Rhode Island...
  Newport County in Rhode Island...
  Southern Providence County in Rhode Island...
  Northeastern Washington County in Rhode Island...

* Until 145 PM EDT.

* At 1046 AM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
  heavy rain across the warned area. The expected rainfall rate is 1
  to 2 inches in 1 hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches
  are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or
  expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
           highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
           drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Providence, Fall River, Warwick, Cranston, East Providence,
  Coventry, Dartmouth, North Providence, South Kingstown, West
  Warwick, Johnston, North Kingstown, Newport, Bristol, Somerset,
  Portsmouth, Barrington, Middletown, Narragansett and Swansea.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

&&

LAT...LON 4174 7179 4184 7179 4184 7139 4177 7103
      4151 7101 4145 7130 4146 7179

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
EXPECTED RAINFALL RATE...1-2 INCHES IN 1 HOUR

$$

Hrencecin
3 follow-up statements
939 
WGUS71 KBOX 131541
FFSBOX

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
1141 AM EDT Sun Sep 13 2026

MAC005-RIC001-003-005-007-009-131745-
/O.CON.KBOX.FF.W.0012.000000T0000Z-260913T1745Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Bristol MA-Bristol RI-Kent RI-Newport RI-Providence RI-Washington
RI-
1141 AM EDT Sun Sep 13 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 145 PM EDT THIS
AFTERNOON FOR SOUTHWESTERN BRISTOL, BRISTOL, KENT, NEWPORT, SOUTHERN
PROVIDENCE AND NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

At 1141 AM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy
rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have
fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 1 to 2 inches in 1 hour.
Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in the
warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
         highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
         drainage and low-lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Providence, Fall River, Warwick, Cranston, East Providence,
  Coventry, Dartmouth, North Providence, South Kingstown, West
  Warwick, Johnston, North Kingstown, Newport, Bristol, Somerset,
  Portsmouth, Barrington, Middletown, Narragansett and Swansea.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

&&

LAT...LON 4174 7179 4184 7179 4184 7139 4177 7103
      4151 7101 4145 7130 4146 7179

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
EXPECTED RAINFALL RATE...1-2 INCHES IN 1 HOUR

$$

Hrencecin
283 
WGUS71 KBOX 131622
FFSBOX

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
1222 PM EDT Sun Sep 13 2026

MAC005-RIC001-003-005-007-009-131745-
/O.CON.KBOX.FF.W.0012.000000T0000Z-260913T1745Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Bristol MA-Bristol RI-Kent RI-Newport RI-Providence RI-Washington
RI-
1222 PM EDT Sun Sep 13 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 145 PM EDT THIS
AFTERNOON FOR SOUTHWESTERN BRISTOL MA, BRISTOL RI, KENT, NEWPORT,
SOUTHERN PROVIDENCE AND NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

At 1222 PM EDT, Doppler radar and rain gauges indicated thunderstorms
producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 2 and 3.5 inches
of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 1 to 2 inches in 1
hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in
the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin
shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar and rain gauges.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
         highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
         drainage and low-lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Providence, Fall River, Warwick, Cranston, East Providence,
  Coventry, Dartmouth, North Providence, South Kingstown, West
  Warwick, Johnston, North Kingstown, Newport, Bristol, Somerset,
  Portsmouth, Barrington, Middletown, Narragansett and Swansea.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

&&

LAT...LON 4174 7179 4184 7179 4184 7139 4177 7103
      4151 7101 4145 7130 4146 7179

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED
EXPECTED RAINFALL RATE...1-2 INCHES IN 1 HOUR

$$

Hrencecin
411 
WGUS71 KBOX 131739
FFSBOX

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
139 PM EDT Sun Sep 13 2026

MAC005-RIC001-003-005-007-009-131749-
/O.EXP.KBOX.FF.W.0012.000000T0000Z-260913T1745Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Bristol MA-Bristol RI-Kent RI-Newport RI-Providence RI-Washington
RI-
139 PM EDT Sun Sep 13 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 145 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR
SOUTHWESTERN BRISTOL, BRISTOL, KENT, NEWPORT, SOUTHERN PROVIDENCE AND
NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

The heaviest rain has ended. Please continue to heed remaining road
closures.

A Flood Watch remains in effect until 600 PM EDT for portions of
southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

A Flood Watch remains in effect until 600 PM EDT for portions of
northern Connecticut and Massachusetts.

&&

LAT...LON 4174 7179 4184 7179 4184 7139 4177 7103
      4151 7101 4145 7130 4146 7179

$$

Hrencecin

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Boston/Norton, MA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Sep 13, 7:24 AM EDT, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Showers with a few embedded thunderstorms overspread the region this morning. Pockets of torrential rainfall bring the potential for localized flash flooding with the greatest risk near the south coast.
  • Overall the weather looks rather quiet and mainly dry for the upcoming work week with just the risk for a few showers sometime Thu and/or Fri. Seasonable temps Mon and Tue with a brief bout of summer warmth possible Wed and/or Thu ahead of a cold front.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 13, 7:24 AM EDT, 3 hours 22 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
724 AM EDT Sun Sep 13 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
No significant changes have been made to the forecast.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Showers with a few embedded thunderstorms overspread the region
  this morning. Pockets of torrential rainfall bring the potential
  for localized flash flooding with the greatest risk near the
  south coast.

- Overall the weather looks rather quiet and mainly dry for the
  upcoming work week with just the risk for a few showers sometime
  Thu and/or Fri. Seasonable temps Mon and Tue with a brief bout
  of summer warmth possible Wed and/or Thu ahead of a cold front.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...Showers with a few embedded thunderstorms overspread
the region this morning. Pockets of torrential rainfall bring the
potential for localized flash flooding with the greatest risk near
the south coast.

A fairly strong shortwave and associated mid-level warm front will
approach the region this morning. In response...the atmosphere will
undergo quite an instability burst with the Showalter indices
dropping nearly 20 units inside 12 hours. This is often a very
strong signal for a cluster of showers and a few embedded
thunderstorms along with the potential for localized torrential
rainfall. Pwats on the NAM/GFS climb to near 2.25 inches across
RI/SE MA today...which is extremely high for this part of the
country. In fact...the EPS situational awareness table has those
Pwat values outside the model/s climatology for this time of year.
In addition...the HREF/s worst case scenario indicates modest
probabilities for 6 HR rainfall to exceed the 10 year ARI/s for
RI/SE MA. Lastly...the HREF continues to indicate a 30 percent
probability for 3"+ of rain inside 3 hours across RI/SE MA. That is
often another signal to look for in the potential for flash
flooding. Keep in mind though...these are just favorable ingredients
and mesoscale factors will determine the outcome.

The above ingredients are favorable to produce a narrow swath of
torrential rainfall and potentially localized flash flooding...But
only if the mesoscale environment cooperates. That is often very
hard to forecast even in the near term. In this case...the track of
a meso-low and its surface boundary will likely be the main player.
If it tracks near the south coast and a surface boundary enhances
convergence with the extreme Pwat plume in place...the risk for
torrential rainfall and localized flash flooding will increase.
Current guidance is still favoring RI/SE MA and especially areas
near the south coast at the greatest risk for this occurrence.
However...the current state of the science still prevents us to pin
an exact area so we can not rule out this risk further north even
into the Boston and Worcester metro areas. And this is still only a
watch...so if the mesoscale environment does not setup the band of
torrential rainfall and localized flash flooding will not occur.

Lastly the overall severe weather threat is quite low today given
most of the instability will be elevated. However...there is a very
low risk for a brief spin-up/waterspout in the vicinity of the
mesoscale low and its associated triple point. Again...it is a
rather low probability but something we need to watch in these
setups.

So to sum up...The Flood Watch continues for the BOS-ORH corridor
points south and east with the highest risk near the south coast.
The potential exists for 2-4" of rain inside 3 hours within the
Flood Watch. Outside that region...rainfall amounts of 0.50" to
1.50" seem reasonable.

The system itself is fairly progressive...so expect the bulk of the
steady showers to come to an end from northwest to southeast roughly
between 2 and 4 pm. However...some of the steady activity may linger
until 5-6 pm towards the Cape and Islands. A cold front will likely
bring a round of brief scattered showers very late tonight into
early Mon morning...but not the widespread heavy rainfall we will be
dealing with today.

KEY MESSAGE 2... Overall the weather looks rather quiet and mainly
dry for the upcoming work week with just the risk for a few showers
sometime Thu and/or Fri. Seasonable temps Mon and Tue with a brief
bout of summer warmth possible Wed and/or Thu ahead of a cold front.

Any lingering scattered showers depart the southeast New England
coast by mid-morning Monday behind the cold front. Otherwise...high
pressure builds back into the region Mon and Tue bringing dry and
seasonable weather. High temps will mainly be in the upper 60s to
the middle 70s with lows in the 40s and 50s both days. This high
pressure system moves east of the region by Wed. This may allow for
a brief return of summerlike warmth Wed and/or Thu. Much of the
upcoming work week looks dry...but the next cold front may bring a
few showers to the region sometime Thu and/or Fri but it does not
look significant at this time.

&&

.AVIATION /12Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...

Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.

12z TAF Update...

Today...Moderate confidence.

Widespread showers and potentially a few embedded thunderstorms will
overspread the region from west to east roughly through 15z. This
will result in low-end MVFR to IFR conditions developing with
even brief LIFR conditions in narrow bands of torrential
rainfall. The bulk of the heaviest showers should be exiting the
southeast New England coast by 21z/22z. Winds will be light but
changeable in direction with weak boundaries in the vicinity.
Some LLWS will be possible at times too.

Tonight...Moderate confidence.

Lingering MVFR-IFR with localized LIFR will gradually improve from
west to east tonight behind a cold front. However...some areas that
see low clouds scour out may temporarily fog in before the winds
shift to the NW and bring drier air into the region. There also will
likely be a brief band of scattered showers associated with the cold
front overnight. Light and variable winds will shift to the NW at 5-
10 knots toward daybreak behind the cold front.

Monday...High confidence.

Any lingering lower cigs across the Cape/Islands should improve to
VFR by mid morning. Otherwise...VFR conditions on Monday with
sustained NW winds of 10 to 15 knots and gusts of 20 to 25 knots.

KBOS Terminal...Moderate confidence in TAF.

KBDL Terminal...Moderate confidence in TAF.

Outlook /Monday Night through Thursday/...

Monday Night through Tuesday: VFR. Breezy.

Tuesday Night through Thursday: VFR.

&&

.MARINE...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...

Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.

Today...High confidence.

A warm front will cross the waters today. The main concern for
mariners will be heavy showers and potentially a few embedded
thunderstorms with reduced visibility. There is a very low
probability for a water spout or two mainly across the
southern waters. Winds/seas though should remain below small
craft advisory thresholds.

Tonight and Monday...High confidence.

Southwest winds will shift to the northwest overnight and continue
from that direction on Monday behind the cold front. Winds may gust
to between 20 and 25 knots at times on Monday...perhaps flirting
with marginal small craft advisory criteria. Highest risk for small
craft wind gusts may actually be Monday night in the cool air
advection pattern. We will let the next shift take a look at these
potential headlines.

Outlook /Monday Night through Thursday/...

Monday Night: Low risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with
gusts up to 30 kt. Areas of seas approaching 5 ft.

Tuesday through Wednesday: Winds less than 25 kt. Areas of seas
approaching 5 ft.

Wednesday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Seas locally
approaching 5 ft.

Thursday: Winds less than 25 kt.

&&

.BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...Flood Watch until 6 PM EDT this evening for CTZ004.
MA...Flood Watch until 6 PM EDT this evening for MAZ012-013-015>024.
RI...Flood Watch until 6 PM EDT this evening for RIZ001>008.
MARINE...None.

&&

DISCUSSION...Frank
AVIATION...Frank/Dooley
MARINE...Frank

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 13, 10:59 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXBristol, Plymouth3 hr
Sep 13, 2:23 PM EDTSmall Craft AdvisoryBOX26 hr
Sep 13, 7:09 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningBOXKent, Providence5 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Rhode Island, 2026Flash Flood Warnings in Massachusetts, 2026Every flash flood warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.