Rhode Island, 2020Damaging Winds and Strong Wind in Rhode Island, October 7, 2020
October 7, 2020 · NWS BOX · 5 events in 2 counties and zones
A squall line formed in New York State then raced eastward in the late afternoon and early evening, gathering strength as it raced across Massachusetts, northeast Connecticut, and northern Rhode Island. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power in southern New England, as there was widespread tree and power line damage from winds generally gusting to between 50 and 80 mph.
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.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $35,000
- 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.
A squall line formed in New York State then raced eastward in the late afternoon and early evening, gathering strength as it raced across Massachusetts, northeast Connecticut, and northern Rhode Island. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power in southern New England, as there was widespread tree and power line damage from winds generally gusting to between 50 and 80 mph. The Storm Prediction Center officially classified it as a derecho. Prior to the derecho, strong southwest winds gusted to 40-50 mph in the early afternoon.
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 7, 1:06 PM EST, 9 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 7, 1:06 PM EST, 9 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 7, 3:22 AM EST, 9 hours 53 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
422 AM EDT Wed Oct 7 2020
MAZ002>006-008>014-026-080830-
Western Franklin MA-Eastern Franklin MA-Northern Worcester MA-
Central Middlesex MA-Western Essex MA-Western Hampshire MA-
Western Hampden MA-Eastern Hampshire MA-Eastern Hampden MA-
Southern Worcester MA-Western Norfolk MA-Southeast Middlesex MA-
Northern Middlesex MA-
422 AM EDT Wed Oct 7 2020
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 2 AM EDT
THURSDAY...
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Massachusetts,
eastern Massachusetts, northeastern Massachusetts and western
Massachusetts.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
High Wind Warning.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
CTZ002>004-MAZ017-018-020-021-RIZ001>007-080830-
Hartford CT-Tolland CT-Windham CT-Northern Bristol MA-
Western Plymouth MA-Southern Bristol MA-Southern Plymouth MA-
Northwest Providence RI-Southeast Providence RI-Western Kent RI-
Eastern Kent RI-Bristol RI-Washington RI-Newport RI-
422 AM EDT Wed Oct 7 2020
...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 2 AM EDT
THURSDAY...
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Connecticut,
southeastern Massachusetts, northern Rhode Island and southern
Rhode Island.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
Wind Advisory.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
MAZ007-015-016-080830-
Eastern Essex MA-Suffolk MA-Eastern Norfolk MA-
422 AM EDT Wed Oct 7 2020
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 2 AM EDT
THURSDAY...
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for eastern Massachusetts and
northeastern Massachusetts.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
High Wind Warning.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
MAZ022>024-080830-
Barnstable MA-Dukes MA-Nantucket MA-
422 AM EDT Wed Oct 7 2020
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 2 AM EDT
THURSDAY...
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeastern Massachusetts.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
High Wind Warning.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
MAZ019-RIZ008-080830-
Eastern Plymouth MA-Block Island RI-
422 AM EDT Wed Oct 7 2020
...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 2 AM EDT
THURSDAY...
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeastern Massachusetts
and southern Rhode Island.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
Wind Advisory.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
ANZ231>235-237-250-254>256-080830-
Cape Cod Bay-Nantucket Sound-Vineyard Sound-Buzzards Bay-
Rhode Island Sound-Block Island Sound-
Coastal waters east of Ipswich Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary-
Coastal waters from Provincetown MA to Chatham MA to Nantucket MA
out 20 nm-
Coastal Waters extending out to 25 nm South of Marthas Vineyard and
Nantucket-
Coastal Waters from Montauk NY to Marthas Vineyard extending out to
20 nm South of Block Island-
422 AM EDT Wed Oct 7 2020
...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO NOON EDT
THURSDAY...
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Massachusetts coastal waters
and Rhode Island coastal waters.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
Gale Warning.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
Gale Warning.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
ANZ230-251-080830-
Boston Harbor-Massachusetts Bay and Ipswich Bay-
422 AM EDT Wed Oct 7 2020
...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 AM EDT
THURSDAY...
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Massachusetts coastal waters.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
Gale Warning.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
Gale Warning.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
ANZ236-080830-
Narragansett Bay-
422 AM EDT Wed Oct 7 2020
...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 AM EDT
THURSDAY...
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Rhode Island coastal waters.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
Gale Warning.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
For more information on upcoming hazardous weather, please see the
Area Forecast Discussion on our webpage for the latest forecast
thinking. There is also our Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook at
www.weather.gov/box/ehwo
For the latest updates...please visit our webpage at
www.weather.gov/boston
You can follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/us.nationalweatherservice.boston.gov
You can follow us on Twitter at
@NWSBoston
Strong Wind, Northwest Providence
- When
- October 7, 1:15 PM EST
- Where
- Northwest Providence forecast zone
- Measured
- 43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $4,000
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
During the early afternoon, prior to the squall line, southwest winds were gusting to 40 to 50 mph. In Scituate at 215 PM EDT, the media reported that a tree landed on an occupied car outside of Scituate Middle/High School. Thankfully, the driver was reportedly okay.
Thunderstorm Wind, Providence
- When
- October 7, 5:04 PM EST
- Where
- Providence County, Pascoag
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $30,000
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 41.950, -71.720
In Burrillville, a tree was down on two cars, which were heavily damaged. There were no injuries.
Thunderstorm Wind, Providence
- When
- October 7, 5:07 PM EST
- Where
- Providence County, 0.51 mi E of Cumberland Hill
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Amateur Radio
- Coordinates
- 41.970, -71.460
In Cumberland at 607 PM EDT, an amateur radio operator measured a wind gust to 61 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind, Providence
- When
- October 7, 5:14 PM EST
- Where
- Providence County, 0.21 mi W of Cumberland Hill
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 41.970, -71.474
In the Manville section of Lincoln, a tree was uprooted.
Thunderstorm Wind, Providence
- When
- October 7, 5:24 PM EST
- Where
- Providence County, 0.69 mi S of South Providence
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 41.810, -71.400
In Providence at 624 PM EDT, a HADS (Hydrometeorological Automated Data System) site measured a wind gust to 61 mph.
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Cold in Maine, October 7 to 8, 20202 deaths · 2 injured · 2 events
- Tornado and Hail in New York, October 7, 20201 death · $97,000 · EF0 · 92 events
- Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, October 7, 20201 death · $5,000 · 52 kt wind · 14 events
- Tornado and Hail in Massachusetts, October 7, 20205 injured · $153,000 · EF0 · 63 events
- Damaging Winds in New York, October 7, 2020$273,000 · 50 kt wind · 41 events
- Damaging Winds in Connecticut, October 7, 2020$43,000 · 55 kt wind · 7 events
- Damaging Winds in New Hampshire, October 7, 202050 kt wind · 9 events
- Damaging Winds in Connecticut, October 7, 2020$11,000 · 60 kt wind · 4 events
- Damaging Winds in Vermont, October 7, 202050 kt wind · 3 events
- Damaging Winds in Connecticut, October 7, 2020$1,000 · 50 kt wind · 3 events
- Damaging Winds in New York, October 7, 2020$2,000 · 51 kt wind · 2 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in Lake Ontario, October 7, 202050 kt wind · 1 event
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: 918249, 918251, 918253, 918252, 918254.