Tropical Storm Earl made its closest pass to Southern New England the morning of September 4th, passing 98 miles to the southeast of Nantucket Island. The Automated Surface Observing System at Nantucket Memorial Airport (KACK) recorded the only tropical storm force wind in Southern New England, measured shortly after midnight on the 4th at 36 knots (41 mph).
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.
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.
The episode as NWS BOX wrote it up.
Tropical Storm Earl made its closest pass to Southern New England the morning of September 4th, passing 98 miles to the southeast of Nantucket Island. The Automated Surface Observing System at Nantucket Memorial Airport (KACK) recorded the only tropical storm force wind in Southern New England, measured shortly after midnight on the 4th at 36 knots (41 mph). High surf induced by Earl resulted in minor coastal flooding in Newport, RI and Nantucket, MA. Meanwhile, a couple of locations on Cape Cod experienced minor freshwater flooding due to three to five inches of heavy rainfall. Also on Cape Cod, several trees were downed by the persistent sustained winds.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Boston/Norton, MA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 3, 10:24 AM EST, 33 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood, 1 tropical storm, 1 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A foot of water flooded Orleans Road in Chatham and the intersection of Route 137 and Pleasant Bay Road in Harwich.
Tropical Storm Earl made its closest pass to Southern New England the morning of September 4th, passing 98 miles to the southeast of Nantucket Island. The Automated Surface Observing System at Nantucket Memorial Airport (KACK) recorded the only tropical storm force wind in Southern New England, measured shortly after midnight on the 4th at 36 knots (41 mph). High surf induced by Earl resulted in minor coastal flooding in Newport, RI and Nantucket, MA, while a couple of locations on Cape Cod experienced minor freshwater flooding.
On Cape Cod, several trees were downed by the persistent sustained winds. In Orleans, a downed tree blocked Route 6 along a two mile stretch from Exit 12 (MA 6A) to the rotary where Route 6 and Route 6A intersect to the east. Another downed tree in Harwich partially blocked Route 28 near its intersection with Evelyns Way. Trees were downed in Chatham and Bourne as well.
Coastal flooding submerged Madaket Beach, resulting in an inundation of seawater into Long Pond.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Massachusetts in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, September 2010The 2010 hurricane season
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 259953, 259482, 259523.