Flood, Southeast Providence
- When
- April 17, 10:30 AM EST to 5:45 PM EST
- Where
- Southeast Providence forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood in Rhode Island, April 17, 1996
A strong storm system moving through southern New England brought two to three and one-half inches of rainfall on April 16th to central and northern Rhode Island. In addition, strong winds accompanied this system along the south coast in Newport County.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS BOX wrote it up.
A strong storm system moving through southern New England brought two to three and one-half inches of rainfall on April 16th to central and northern Rhode Island. In addition, strong winds accompanied this system along the south coast in Newport County. Tiverton reported a gust to 60 mph and Barrington had a gust to 58 mph from the east-southeast. The heavy rain fell on ground that had been saturated by heavy snowmelt from a record April snowfall the previous week. This resulted in minor flooding along the Patuxent River in Providence and Kent Counties between 3 PM and 5 PM on April 17th, or about 24 hours after the rain ended. The Blackstone River crested at Woonsocket at 9.1 feet at 2:30 PM on the 17th; flood stage is 9 feet.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Lightning Strike in Louisiana, April 17, 1996
- High Wind in Colorado, April 17, 1996
- High Wind in New Mexico, April 17, 1996
- Winter Storm in Idaho, April 17 to 18, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, April 17 to 18, 1996
- Flood in Connecticut, April 17 to 30, 1996
- Flood in Massachusetts, April 17 to 20, 1996
- Flood in Connecticut, April 17 to 19, 1996
- Strong Wind in California, April 17, 1996
- Flood in New Hampshire, April 17 to 18, 1996
- Flood in Connecticut, April 17 to 18, 1996
- Flood in Massachusetts, April 17 to 19, 1996
More
Every storm in Rhode Island in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Rhode Island, April 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5551530.