Hail and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, June 22, 1997

A line of thunderstorms, some severe, moved southeastward across Rhode Island with large hail, frequent cloud to ground lightning, and wind gusts measured up to 80 mph. A microburst moved through part of East Providence (the Riverside section and Bullocks Neck) and West Barrington (the Bullocks Cove area). A boat was lifted off its cradle on land and landed on top of a car and a crane was turned about 30 degrees in the Bullocks Cove area. Two boats were swamped in the Cove and there was considerable tree damage. A lightning bolt started a fire which destroyed an upstairs apartment in West Barrington. As a result of a National Weather Service survey of the area, winds in the microburst were estimated to have been in the range of 80 to 90 mph. Large hail up to 1.50 inches in diameter accompanied the microburst. Elsewhere, quarter size hail was reported by a spotter in Coventry and strong winds overturned a boat in Narragansett Bay. Two people swam to shore but there were no injuries. Dime size hail fell in Bristol. Golfball size hail was reported by one spotter in Tiverton, while dime size hail was observed by two other spotters, one of whom recorded a wind gust to 70 mph. A spotter 5 miles south of the Greene State Airport in Warwick reported a peak wind gust to 75 mph. There were numerous lightning strikes, some resulting in small fires which caused minor damage in many towns in central and southeast Rhode Island. In Cranston, the Deputy Fire Chief "rushed from fire to fire like never before." Three small fires were reported in Providence but all were extinguished within minutes. In Warwick, lightning started a fire in an historic clock tower on a school and damage was estimated at $250,000. In East Greenwich, a fire, possibly started by lightning, resulted in the evacuation of 75 residents. Power outages affected up to 18,000 electric customers statewide.