Strong Wind, Southeast Providence
- When
- February 20, 1:00 AM EST to 4:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southeast Providence forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind in Rhode Island, February 20, 1997
Strong and gusty west to northwest winds in the wake of a cold front brought peak wind gusts of over 50 mph in parts of the state. Downtown Providence and Tiverton had gusts to 54 mph between 3 AM and 4 AM.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
- 2
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.
Strong and gusty west to northwest winds in the wake of a cold front brought peak wind gusts of over 50 mph in parts of the state. Downtown Providence and Tiverton had gusts to 54 mph between 3 AM and 4 AM.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Newport
- When
- February 20, 1:00 AM EST to 4:00 AM EST
- Where
- Newport forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.500, -71.281 (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
- Flood in Texas, February 20 to 21, 1997
- Tornado in Arkansas, February 20, 1997
- Flooding in Illinois, February 20 to 22, 1997
- Tornado in Texas, February 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, February 20, 1997
- Flash Flood in Texas, February 20, 1997
- Flash Flooding in Illinois, February 20 to 24, 1997
- Flash Flood in Texas, February 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Arkansas, February 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Arkansas, February 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Arkansas, February 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Texas, February 20, 1997
More
Every storm in Rhode Island in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Rhode Island, February 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5592135, 5592136.