Massachusetts, 2025

Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, July 8 to 9, 2025

July 8 to 9, 2025 · NWS BOX · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

A mid level shortwave and surface cold front brough a smattering of strong to severe storms to southern New England in the evening and early overnight hours. This resulted in scattered wind damage reports in northeast CT, northern RI, and central MA.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
$2,000
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS BOX wrote it up.

A mid level shortwave and surface cold front brough a smattering of strong to severe storms to southern New England in the evening and early overnight hours. This resulted in scattered wind damage reports in northeast CT, northern RI, and central MA. It also resulted in some flash flooding in southeast MA.

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 Jul 8, 6:24 PM EST, 4 hours 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 8, 6:24 PM EST, 4 hours 41 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
724 PM EDT Tue Jul 8 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
This afternoon and evening brings scattered thunderstorms
capable of producing damaging winds and flash flooding. Cooler
weather expected Wednesday and beyond. Possible break from
unsettled weather for the upcoming weekend.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/...
Key Messages...

* Strong to severe storms possible with heavy downpours and
  potential for flash flooding.

Already seeing several storms pop along the NY/CT state line as
well as along the south coast sea breeze boundary. Expecting
storms to continue to pop up through the afternoon and continue
into the overnight period... though the area of greatest concern
generally along and south of the MA Pike, some storms could
form along the north coast. Orientation looks to generally be SW
to NE, in line with nearly unidirectional SW flow in the
low/mid levels suggesting potential for slow moving and training
storms. With warm cloud depths near 14,000 ft suggesting
efficient warm rain processes, storms that form will have the
potential to drop an 1-2 inches of rain in an hour and cause
localized flash flooding issues, especially in urban areas. A
Flood Watch continues for the area thought to stand the greatest
risk from mid afternoon through the first half of the overnight
hours.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/...
Key Messages...

* Isolated showers and thunderstorms possible but not a washout.

* Much cooler with highs in the 70s along the east coast and 80s
  elsewhere.

Cooler temperatures move in once the winds flip to easterly
onshore flow. As such, the eastern coast of SNE should top out
in the 70s while the hottest spot will be western/central MA,
especially the CT valley where highs reach the mid 80s. Plenty
of moisture sticking around with PWATs still 1.5+ inches, but a
weakly forced environment so any showers will be scattered and
difficult to nail down where exactly they'll materialize.

&&

.LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
Key Messages...

* Periodic chances for showers through Friday before a break in
  the unsettled weather this weekend.

* Near to below average temperatures.

It is expected to remain quite humid through this weekend. Just
thinking a brief cooldown Thursday, then the heat starts to
build again into early next week.

Not much change to the overall synoptic pattern into Friday.
Still a risk for some showers and thunderstorms Thursday, and
less of a risk Friday. It's likely Saturday is the day which
features the lowest chance for showers. Even Sunday should be
dry most of the time, with the risk for some showers and
thunderstorms late in the day. Have low confidence in the
forecast details early next week. Too much uncertainty with the
timing of potential showers and thunderstorms.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...

Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.

00Z update...

Tonight...Moderate confidence.

IFR cigs expand from east coast to as far west as ORH by 06z,
into western MA/CT terminals by 12z. Scattered SHRA/TSRA move
into the area from SW to NE and continue through at least 07z.

Tuesday...Moderate confidence.

IFR cigs continue through most of the day from ORH east,
MVFR/VFR west of ORH. NE winds 5-10 kts.

KBOS Terminal...Low confidence in TAF only with regard to
timing of possible convection.

KBDL Terminal...Low confidence in TAF only with regard to
timing of possible convection.

Outlook /Thursday through Sunday/...

Wednesday: Mainly VFR, with local IFR possible. Chance SHRA,
slight chance TSRA.

Wednesday Night: Mainly VFR, with areas IFR possible. Chance
SHRA, slight chance TSRA.

Thursday: MVFR/IFR conditions possible. Chance SHRA, slight
chance TSRA.

Thursday Night: Mainly VFR, with areas IFR possible. Chance
SHRA, slight chance TSRA.

Friday: Mainly VFR, with local IFR possible. Slight chance
SHRA, slight chance TSRA.

Friday Night: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible.

Saturday: VFR.

&&

.MARINE...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...

Low - less than 30 percent.
Medium - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.

Today and tonight: High confidence.

SW winds 15-20 kts with seas 2-4 ft on the eastern waters, 3-6 ft on
the southern waters. Showers and thunderstorms expected late evening
through the overnight hours.

Wednesday: High confidence.

Winds 5-10 kts out of the SW on the southern waters and out of the
NE on the eastern waters. Seas 2-4 ft.

Outlook /Thursday through Sunday/...

Wednesday: Winds less than 25 kt. Seas locally approaching
5 ft. Chance of rain showers, slight chance of thunderstorms,
patchy fog.

Wednesday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Chance of rain showers,
slight chance of thunderstorms.

Thursday through Thursday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Seas
locally approaching 5 ft. Chance of rain showers, slight chance
of thunderstorms.

Friday: Winds less than 25 kt. Seas locally approaching 5 ft.
Slight chance of rain showers, slight chance of thunderstorms.

Friday Night through Saturday: Winds less than 25 kt. Seas
locally approaching 5 ft.

&&

.BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...Heat Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for CTZ002>004.
     Flood Watch until 2 AM EDT Wednesday for CTZ002>004.
MA...Heat Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for MAZ003>007-
     010>022-026.
     Flood Watch until 2 AM EDT Wednesday for MAZ011>013-015>022.
RI...Heat Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for RIZ001>007.
     Flood Watch until 2 AM EDT Wednesday for RIZ001>007.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for ANZ235-
     237.
     Small Craft Advisory until 8 AM EDT Wednesday for ANZ254>256.

&&

SYNOPSIS...Belk/McMinn
NEAR TERM...McMinn
SHORT TERM...McMinn
LONG TERM...Belk
AVIATION...Loconto/FT
MARINE...Belk/McMinn

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 8, 6:19 PM EST, 4 hours 46 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
719 PM EDT Tue Jul 8 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0634 PM     Lightning        Bristol                 41.70N 71.26W
07/08/2025                   Bristol            RI   Fire Dept/Rescue

            In Bristol, RI garage fire due to lightning
            strike on Casey Drive. Report relayed by
            Amateur Radio.

&&

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:07 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Worcester

When
July 8, 11:05 PM EST
Where
Worcester County, 0.51 mi W of Webster
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$300
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
42.050, -71.890

In Webster, a tree was down blocking most of Ardlock Place near the intersection with West Main St.

Thunderstorm Wind, Worcester

When
July 8, 11:10 PM EST
Where
Worcester County, 1.69 mi ENE of Tasseltop
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$800
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
42.030, -71.690

In Douglas, a large tree was down on Perry St.

Thunderstorm Wind, Worcester

When
July 8, 11:25 PM EST
Where
Worcester County, 1.02 mi W of Whitinsville
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
42.120, -71.690

In Northbridge, a tree was down on wires on Purgatory Rd.

Flash Flood, Bristol

When
July 8, 11:30 PM EST to July 9, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Bristol County, 0.9 mi WNW of Luther Corner to 0.38 mi W of Luther Corner
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
41.754, -71.237

In Swansea, the west bound side of Rt 6 had two lanes completely flooded.

Flash Flood, Bristol

When
July 9, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Bristol County, Fall River to 0.22 mi SW of Fall River
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
41.700, -71.150

In Fall River, several roads were flooded throughout town.

What these are

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, July 2025

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: 1261854, 1261855, 1261856, 1261857, 1261853.