Rhode Island, 2018

High Surf in Rhode Island, October 28, 2018

October 28, 2018 · NWS BOX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong storm system moved across southern New England early in the morning on the 28th. Gusty southwest winds prevailed on Oct.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
2
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 strong storm system moved across southern New England early in the morning on the 28th. Gusty southwest winds prevailed on Oct. 28th in the morning, behind the storm. After having had storm and gale conditions on the 27th, high surf still lingered on the coastal waters.

What forecasters said that day

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 Oct 28, 6:00 AM EST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 28, 6:00 AM EST, 2 hours before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 28, 3:27 AM EST, 4 hours 33 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Newport

When
October 28, 8:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Newport forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
41.500, -71.281 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High surf, on the order of 6 to 8 foot waves, knocked a 51 year old woman off the rocks, where she was fishing. She ended up drowning. Her 52 year old husband went into the water to save her but he ended up drowning as well. Very sad story.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
High Surf, Newport2018-10-2851FemaleOtherDirect
High Surf, Newport2018-10-2852MaleOtherIndirect

What these are

High Surf
Large waves breaking on the shore that caused damage, erosion or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Rhode Island in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Rhode Island, October 2018

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 789505.