Thunderstorm Wind in Rhode Island
Every thunderstorm wind event the National Weather Service has filed in Rhode Island, year by year, with the most significant episodes. 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.
The most significant on the map
The most significant thunderstorm wind episodes in Rhode Island.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 346
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 2
- Damage
- $3.4 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Rhode Island, August 18, 2023A high amplitude, negatively tilted trough moving across the Great Lakes and into New England along with cold and warm front provided strong forcing which resulted in flooding, wind damage, and 5 tornadoes.
- Damaging Winds and Rip Currents in Rhode Island, July 27, 2023A potent mid level shortwave moved in from the Great Lakes bringing widespread wind damage.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, October 18, 1990
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in Rhode Island, August 8, 1986
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in Rhode Island, September 23, 1989
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, June 22, 1997A line of thunderstorms, some severe, moved southeastward across Rhode Island with large hail, frequent cloud to ground lightning, and wind gusts measured up to 80 mph.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Rhode Island, July 23, 2008A frontal system moved through southern New England with the warm front moving through first and increasing low level moisture. Then the cold front moved through providing a lifting mechanism for showers and thunderstorms to develop.
- Damaging Wind in Rhode Island, August 24, 1996A severe thunderstorm struck Block Island during the late morning with wind gusts estimated to hurricane force by local mariners. The automated weather station at the airport reported sustained winds of 34 knots and a peak gust to 52 knots from the north-northwest.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, November 13, 2021A fast-moving cold front combined with a potent short-wave trough lifting northeastward across western and northern New England to produce severe thunderstorms across southern New England.
- Damaging Wind in Rhode Island, August 21, 2004A severe thunderstorm produced a microburst with winds estimated at 70 mph in Woonsocket, according to a National Weather Service storm survey. Trees were downed and uprooted in the Jillson Avenue area just south of the Bernon Heights School.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, June 8 to 9, 2011A Mesoscale Convective System moved out of the Great Lakes and across New York state providing a focus for convection across southern New England. One overnight thunderstorm produced a severe microburst in Providence, RI that downed numerous trees throughout town.
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Rhode Island, August 4, 2015A line of severe thunderstorms developed across Long Island, NY and raced toward Rhode Island. These storms caused significant wind damage across Rhode Island resulting in widespread power outages, knocking down a significant amount of trees, and causing massive traffic delays.
- Damaging Winds and High Wind in Rhode Island, February 25, 2016Low pressure tracked north through New York bringing a warm front through southern New England. Unseasonably deep moisture accompanied this front.
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, August 12, 2016A mid level disturbance and an approaching cold front resulted in showers and thunderstorms developing over much of southern New England. Like the storms the previous day, frequent lightning accompanied these storms. In addition, wind damage and flooding occurred.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, July 1, 2012A weak cold front produced showers and thunderstorms, a few of which became severe producing both large hail and gusty winds.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, June 26, 2024Strong storms moved through southern New England overnight bringing a line of very strong winds and a tornado to Rhode Island.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Rhode Island, August 10, 2012A series of upper level disturbances rotated around a vertically stacked low pressure system in the Great Lakes. These provided a focus for showers and thunderstorms to develop across southern New England.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Rhode Island, September 13, 2023A frontal system brought a period of heavy rain, flash flooding, and embedded thunderstorms to southern New England from the morning to mid evening.
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Rhode Island, June 23, 2015A strong cold front combined with a remnant of an elevated mixed layer (EML) and a significant amount of deep layer shear and instability to produce showers and thunderstorms across southern New England.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Rhode Island, June 22, 2012A cold front moved through a hot and humid southern New England producing showers and thunderstorms. Many of these storms became severe, resulting in damaging winds, large hail, and some flash flooding.
- Flood and Hail in Rhode Island, September 3, 2013A cold front moved through an unstable atmosphere across southern New England, triggering showers and thunderstorms across much of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. There was enough shear and instability for some of these storms to become severe, producing damaging winds.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, June 20, 2006A severe thunderstorms brought down large branches in Woonsocket.Later in the afternoon, another severe thunderstorm brought down wires in Providence, and blew down scaffolding at the state capitol building.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, July 18, 2006Severe thunderstorms moved through Rhode Island at night, in advance of a cold front pushing through southern New England.Thunderstorm winds brought down trees and large limbs in Scituate, Johnston, Cranston, Warwick, Barrington, Middletown, North Kingstown, and Portsmouth.
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, July 22 to 23, 2016A cold front moved through southern New England and when coupled with the existing heat and humidity, resulted in showers and thunderstorms developing over much of the area late in the day and continuing into the evening and overnight hours.
- Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, August 25, 2020A few severe thunderstorms formed during the evening hours, out ahead of a strong cold front which swept across southern New England at night.
More
Thunderstorm Wind everywhereEvery kind of event in Rhode Island
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.