Coastal Flood — Washington, Rhode Island

2024-01-13 · Washington, Rhode Island

Event narrative

Minor to moderate coastal flooding occurred during the morning high tide along the South Coast. Several roads were closed due to 1 to 3 feet of flooding in Westerly and other locations along the south coast. Flooding in Westerly and along the South Coast was exacerbated by a lack of dune protection since most of the coastline saw significant beach erosion from the previous storms dating back to December, 2023.

Wider weather episode

A low pressure system over the southern Plains strengthened significantly as it reached the eastern Great Lakes. This placed New England on the warm side of the storm with strong SE winds and rain instead of snow. This lead to widespread river flooding and coastal flooding on both the south and east coasts of southern New England. The heaviest rain fell over eastern CT, RI, and eastern MA with totals of 1 to 3 inches which added to already saturated ground from previous storms. Along the coast, a storm surge of 2 to 3 feet led to minor to moderate coastal flooding and additional beach erosion in the same areas that were impacted from the previous storm.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1150724. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.