Tropical Storm — Northwest Providence, Rhode Island

2021-08-22 · Northwest Providence, Rhode Island

Event narrative

In North Smithfield at 924 AM EST, a tree was down on a wire on Hanton Road and at 1053 AM EST, a tree was down on St. Paul Street at Middle Street. In Lincoln at 944 AM EST, a tree was down on South Street at Breakneck Hill Road. In Cumberland at 1047 AM EST, two trees were down on unspecified roads. Numerous other trees were downed but not reported. Winds generally were gusting to 40 to 45 mph.

Wider weather episode

Tropical Storm Henri made landfall in southwest Rhode Island around noon on August 22nd, then moved slowly northwestward and westward across northern Connecticut and weakened. Henri brought strong wind gusts and flash flooding. The strongest gusts -- to 70 mph -- occurred along the Rhode Island coast. The worst flash flooding occurred in northeast Connecticut.

As the remnants of Henri moved eastward across southern New England on August 23rd, it spawned three tornadoes and a waterspout in MA and also it caused some renewed flooding.

The highest rainfall totals over the two-day period ranged from 5 to 6 inches in Hartford and Tolland Counties in northern Connecticut and in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties in western Massachusetts.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 979803. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.