Rhode Island, 1998

Flash Flooding and Hail in Rhode Island, June 30, 1998

June 30, 1998 · NWS BOX · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

A slow moving warm front with an abundance of tropical moisture produced several hours of torrential rain with amounts totaling 3 to 6 inches during the morning and early afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms produced the torrential rainfall across northern Rhode Island.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 slow moving warm front with an abundance of tropical moisture produced several hours of torrential rain with amounts totaling 3 to 6 inches during the morning and early afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms produced the torrential rainfall across northern Rhode Island. The Louisquisset River in Providence came out of its banks at 2:30 PM. During the evening, more thunderstorm activity produced flooding in Smithfield and North Providence when the Woonasquatucket River overflowed its banks flooding low-lying sections. A severe thunderstorm (supercell) brought large hail during the evening. Baseball size hail was reported in Richmond, while dime size hail fell in Exeter and North Kingstown. The same storm also produced nickel size hail in Barrington. Two telephone poles were reported down in Ashaway, although there were no other reports of strong winds.

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 38 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:17 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 hail, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Providence

When
June 30, 1:30 PM EST
Where
Providence County, Providence
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Providence

When
June 30, 7:10 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Providence County, North Providence
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Washington

When
June 30, 8:19 PM EST to 8:20 PM EST
Where
Washington County, Richmond
Measured
2.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.530, -71.650

Hail, Washington

When
June 30, 8:35 PM EST
Where
Washington County, North Kingstown
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.570, -71.450

Hail, Bristol

When
June 30, 8:45 PM EST
Where
Bristol County, Barrington
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.720, -71.300

What these are

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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

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: 5661011, 5661012, 5661013, 5661014, 5661015.