Heavy Rain, Providence
- When
- June 13, 12:00 AM EST to June 14, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Providence County, Countywide
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flooding and Flood in Rhode Island, June 13 to 16, 1998
On June 12th through June 14th, a very slow moving complex storm system moved through southeast New England. The combination of its slow movement and the presence of tropical moisture across the region produced rainfall of 6 to 8 inches over much of Rhode Island.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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
- 13
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.
On June 12th through June 14th, a very slow moving complex storm system moved through southeast New England. The combination of its slow movement and the presence of tropical moisture across the region produced rainfall of 6 to 8 inches over much of Rhode Island. The heaviest rainfall amounts of 7 to 8 inches occurred in the northeast corner of the state in Providence County. Numerous small streams flooded over their banks. The following is a list of those reported to have flooded:On June 13th, in Glocester, in Providence County, the Ponaganset Pond flooded over at 3:25 PM; the Ponaganset River in South Foster reached flood stage of 5 feet at 7:45 PM, crested at 5.3 feet at 10 PM, then fell below flood stage at 4 AM on June 14th. Then, it flooded again at 8 AM on the 14th, crested at 5.3 feet at 1 PM, then fell below flood stage at 7 PM -- all on June 14th. Case Pond in Woonsocket flooded from 12:45 AM on the 14th till 5 PM the same day. The Woonasquatucket River in North Providence was in flood from 9:30 AM on the 14th until 8 AM on the 15th. The Pawtuxet River was above flood stage at Warwick in Kent County from 8:39 AM on June 14th until 8 AM on the 16th. Only minor flooding occurred along one major river -- the Blackstone. The Blackstone River reached flood stage of 9 feet at Woonsocket at 9 PM on the 14th, crested at 9.17 feet at 6 AM on the 15th, then fell below flood stage at 11 AM later that same morning.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
7 flash flood, 5 heavy rain, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Rain, Bristol
- When
- June 13, 12:00 AM EST to June 14, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Bristol County, Countywide
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.706, -71.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Kent
- When
- June 13, 12:00 AM EST to June 14, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Kent County, Countywide
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.673, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Newport
- When
- June 13, 12:00 AM EST to June 14, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Newport County, Countywide
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.500, -71.281 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Washington
- When
- June 13, 12:00 AM EST to June 14, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Washington County, Countywide
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.397, -71.620 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Providence
- When
- June 13, 2:25 PM EST
- Where
- Providence County, Glocester
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ponaganset Pond
Flash Flood, Providence
- When
- June 13, 6:45 PM EST to June 14, 3:00 AM EST
- Where
- Providence County, South Foster
- Reported by
- OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ponaganset River
Flash Flood, Providence
- When
- June 13, 11:45 PM EST to June 14, 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Providence County, Woonsocket
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Case Pond
Flash Flood, Providence
- When
- June 14, 7:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Providence County, South Foster
- Reported by
- OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ponaganset River
Flash Flood, Kent
- When
- June 14, 7:39 AM EST to June 16, 7:00 AM EST
- Where
- Kent County, Warwick
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.673, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Pawtuxet River
Flash Flood, Providence
- When
- June 14, 8:30 AM EST to June 15, 7:00 AM EST
- Where
- Providence County, North Providence
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Woonasquatucket River
Flash Flood, Providence
- When
- June 14, 9:00 AM EST to June 16, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Providence County, Cranston
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Pawtuxet River
Flood, Northwest Providence
- When
- June 14, 8:00 PM EST to June 15, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Northwest Providence forecast zone
- Reported by
- OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
- 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
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, June 13, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, June 13, 1998
- Tornado in Kansas, June 13, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, June 13 to 23, 1998
- Heat in Florida, June 13, 1998
- Flooding in Kansas, June 13 to 22, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, June 13, 1998
- Flash Flooding in New Hampshire, June 13 to 15, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, June 13, 1998
- Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in District of Columbia, June 13, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Maine, June 13 to 15, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Kansas, June 13, 1998
More
Every storm in Rhode Island in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Rhode Island, June 1998
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: 5660905, 5660906, 5660907, 5660908, 5660909, 5660910, 5660911, 5660912, 5660913, 5660914, 5660915, 5660916, 5660917.