Strong Wind, Barnstable
- When
- October 20, 4:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Barnstable forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind in Massachusetts, October 20, 1997
The center of an intense coastal storm passed about 200 miles southeast of Nantucket. Gusty northeast winds to 25 to 40 mph occurred over outer Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- 3
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.
The center of an intense coastal storm passed about 200 miles southeast of Nantucket. Gusty northeast winds to 25 to 40 mph occurred over outer Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. The peak gust reported was 39 mph on Nantucket Island. Very minor coastal flooding occurred during astronomically high tides with a maximum surge of about 1.25 feet. Storm force winds likely occurred within the coastal waters, beyond 20 miles east of Nantucket. Buoy #44004 reported wind gusts to 60 knots, but fortunately there were no problems reported by marine interests.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Dukes
- When
- October 20, 4:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Dukes forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.389, -70.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Nantucket
- When
- October 20, 4:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Nantucket forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.270, -70.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
More
Every storm in Massachusetts in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, October 1997
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5619580, 5619581, 5619582.