Coastal Flood and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, May 22, 2025

Name: Coastal Flood and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, May 22, 2025
Start: 2025-05-22T13:00
End: 2025-05-22T23:00
Location: Massachusetts

May 22, 2025 · NWS BOX · 9 events in 6 counties and zones

A late season nor'easter brough gusty winds with sporadic damage to southern New England along with rainfall amounts of widespread 2-3 inches and a swath of 5-7 inches over southeast MA.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $12,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 late season nor'easter brough gusty winds with sporadic damage to southern New England along with rainfall amounts of widespread 2-3 inches and a swath of 5-7 inches over 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 May 21, 6:21 PM EST, 18 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 6:21 PM EST, 18 hours 39 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

5 strong wind, 3 heavy rain, 1 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Barnstable

When: May 22, 1:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Barnstable forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On Cape Cod there were trees down in Dennis, and Hyannis. Winds gusted 45-55 mph generally with the highest gust being 57 mph at a mesonet site near Scussett Beach. While there were no issues with flooding, portions of the Cape god 5-6 inches of rain.

Strong Wind, Dukes

When: May 22, 1:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Dukes forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 41.389, -70.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

In Edgartown, a tree was down blocking a road on High St. Relayed by amateur radio.

Heavy Rain, Barnstable

When: May 22, 1:00 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Barnstable County, 0.65 mi ENE of Waquoit to 1.88 mi SW of Sagamore
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 41.584, -70.509

While no flooding issues were reported, parts of Cape Cod got 5 to 6 inches of rain.

Heavy Rain, Dukes

When: May 22, 1:00 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Dukes County, 3.01 mi S of (Mvy)marthas Vinyrd to 1.1 mi NNE of Tisbury
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 41.356, -70.617

While no flooding issues were reported, parts of Martha's Vineyard got 5 to 6 inches of rain.

Heavy Rain, Plymouth

When: May 22, 2:00 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Plymouth County, 2.31 mi SW of Cedarville to 1.82 mi SW of Kingston
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 41.780, -70.586

While no flooding issues were reported, parts of Cape Cod got 5 to 6 inches of rain.

Strong Wind, Eastern Plymouth

When: May 22, 3:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Plymouth forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 42.079, -70.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds generally gusted 40-50 mph. In Cohasset, a large tree was down on power lines on North Main St. In Hingham, a tree was down on wires on Cushing St. While there were no issues with flooding, portions of Plymouth county got 5-6 inches of rain.

Strong Wind, Suffolk

When: May 22, 3:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Suffolk forecast zone
Measured: 43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds generally gusted 40-50 mph. In Dorchester, a large branch was down blocking Savin Hill Ave. Trees were down in Brookline.

Strong Wind, Eastern Essex

When: May 22, 3:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Essex forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds generally gusted 40-50 mph. In Beverly, a tree was down on Morningside Dr.

Coastal Flood, Eastern Essex

When: May 22, 5:00 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Essex forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

In Salem, Bridge St was closed due to coastal flooding.

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
Coastal Flood: Flooding of coastal land by the sea, from storm surge, onshore wind or high tides.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2025 Every state in 2025 This day in weather history Warnings in Massachusetts, May 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: 1246602, 1246605, 1246788, 1246790, 1246789, 1246606, 1246608, 1246610, 1246612.