Tornadoes · United States

Tornadoes in Rhode Island

17 tornadoes since 1950, an average of 0.2 a year, 50th of the 53 states and territories in the record. They have killed 0 people and injured 24. None was rated F4 or above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The strongest

  1. EF2, Providence County, Rhode IslandAugust 18, 2023EF2, 9.1 mi (15 km)
  2. F2, Providence County, Rhode IslandAugust 7, 1986F2, 4.0 mi (6 km)
  3. EF1, Providence and Bristol counties, Rhode Island and MassachusettsJune 26, 2024EF1, 8.6 mi (14 km)
  4. F1, Providence and Worcester counties, Rhode Island and MassachusettsAugust 8, 1986F1, 7.0 mi (11 km)
  5. F1, Kent County, Rhode IslandOctober 18, 1990F1, 4.5 mi (7 km)
  6. EF1, Bristol and Bristol counties, Rhode Island and MassachusettsJuly 23, 2008EF1, 4.3 mi (7 km)
  7. EF1, Providence County, Rhode IslandOctober 23, 2018EF1, 1.5 mi (2 km)
  8. F1, Providence County, Rhode IslandAugust 7, 1986F1, 0.5 mi (1 km)
  9. EF1, Providence County, Rhode IslandSeptember 13, 2023EF1, 0.2 mi (0 km)
  10. EF1, Providence County, Rhode IslandSeptember 13, 2023EF1, 0.2 mi (0 km)
  11. EF0, Washington County, Rhode IslandAugust 10, 2012EF0, 3.8 mi (6 km)
  12. F0, Bristol County, Rhode IslandSeptember 14, 1972F0, 2.0 mi (3 km)

The longest paths

  1. EF2, Providence County, Rhode IslandAugust 18, 20239.1 mi (15 km)
  2. EF1, Providence and Bristol counties, Rhode Island and MassachusettsJune 26, 20248.6 mi (14 km)
  3. F1, Providence and Worcester counties, Rhode Island and MassachusettsAugust 8, 19867.0 mi (11 km)
  4. F1, Kent County, Rhode IslandOctober 18, 19904.5 mi (7 km)
  5. EF1, Bristol and Bristol counties, Rhode Island and MassachusettsJuly 23, 20084.3 mi (7 km)
  6. F2, Providence County, Rhode IslandAugust 7, 19864.0 mi (6 km)
  7. EF0, Washington County, Rhode IslandAugust 10, 20123.8 mi (6 km)
  8. F0, Bristol County, Rhode IslandSeptember 14, 19722.0 mi (3 km)
  9. EF0, Washington County, Rhode IslandNovember 13, 20211.5 mi (2 km)
  10. EF1, Providence County, Rhode IslandOctober 23, 20181.5 mi (2 km)
  11. F0, Kent County, Rhode IslandAugust 13, 19940.5 mi (1 km)
  12. F1, Providence County, Rhode IslandAugust 7, 19860.5 mi (1 km)

The costliest

  1. EF1, Providence County, Rhode IslandOctober 23, 2018$1.0 million
  2. EF2, Providence County, Rhode IslandAugust 18, 2023$250,000
  3. EF1, Providence and Bristol counties, Rhode Island and MassachusettsJune 26, 2024$60,000
  4. EF1, Bristol and Bristol counties, Rhode Island and MassachusettsJuly 23, 2008$60,000
  5. EF0, Washington County, Rhode IslandNovember 13, 2021$50,000
  6. EF0, Washington County, Rhode IslandAugust 10, 2012$50,000
  7. EF1, Providence County, Rhode IslandSeptember 13, 2023$20,000
  8. EF1, Providence County, Rhode IslandSeptember 13, 2023$15,000
  9. EF0, Newport County, Rhode IslandOctober 2, 2019$5,000

The biggest days in Rhode Island

  1. September 13, 20232tornadoes
  2. August 7, 19862tornadoes
  3. June 26, 20241tornadoes
  4. August 18, 20231tornadoes
  5. November 13, 20211tornadoes
  6. October 2, 20191tornadoes
  7. October 23, 20181tornadoes
  8. August 10, 20121tornadoes
  9. July 23, 20081tornadoes
  10. August 16, 20001tornadoes
  11. August 13, 19941tornadoes
  12. October 18, 19901tornadoes

Every year

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesF4 and above
20241
202331
20211
20191
20181
20121
20081
20001
19941
19901
198913
1986320
19721

Every county in Rhode Island

A tornado is counted once for every county its path crossed, so these add up to more than 17. Each county has a page of its own: every tornado that crossed it, year by year.

CountyTornadoesDeaths
Providence County10
Bristol County2
Bristol County2
Kent County2
Washington County2
Worcester County1
Newport County1

Nearby

Warnings in force in Rhode IslandForecast for your townThe live radar over Rhode Island

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.