Strong Wind in Northwest Providence, Rhode Island

During the early afternoon, prior to the squall line, southwest winds were gusting to 40 to 50 mph. In Scituate at 215 PM EDT, the media reported that a tree landed on an occupied car outside of Scituate Middle/High School. Thankfully, the driver was reportedly okay.

A squall line formed in New York State then raced eastward in the late afternoon and early evening, gathering strength as it raced across Massachusetts, northeast Connecticut, and northern Rhode Island. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power in southern New England, as there was widespread tree and power line damage from winds generally gusting to between 50 and 80 mph. The Storm Prediction Center officially classified it as a derecho. Prior to the derecho, strong southwest winds gusted to 40-50 mph in the early afternoon.