Rhode Island high wind and dust storms
Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 5 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 730 high wind and dust records in Rhode Island from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 18 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the March 7, 2025 strong wind: 1 death, 1 injury and $13,000 in damage in 2025 dollars across 6 records. Rhode Island ranks 41st of 52 states and territories by count and 1st of 51 per square mile.
High wind and dust storms in Rhode Island, 1996 to 2026
Wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 7301996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 18average
- Deaths
- 29 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $4.5Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 199778 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are high wind and dust records common in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island averages about 18 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 41st of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 1997 (78). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Rhode Island records 7061 high wind and dust records since 1996, 1st of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Rhode Island have the most high wind and dust records?
Per square mile, Newport County leads Rhode Island: 100 days with a high wind record since 1996, 976.3 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Providence County has the most wind records (198 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the windy season in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's high wind and dust records by month. The busiest month is March (110 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 104 · Feb 90 · Mar 110 · Apr 48 · May 11 · Jun 6 · Jul 11 · Aug 8 · Sep 34 · Oct 105 · Nov 95 · Dec 108 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest high wind and dust records in Rhode Island?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-07 | Strong WindProvidence County · forecast zone Northwest Providence One storm episode: 6 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. A strong low was centered over the Gulf of Maine on the morning of the 7th creating a tight pressure gradient across southern New England. This led to strong wind gusts generally 45 to 65 mph. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $13K |
| 2018-03-02 | High WindNewport County · forecast zone Newport At 1:52 PM EST the Automated Surface Observing System platform at Newport State Airport in Middletown measured a wind gust to 67 mph. At 2:24 PM EST an amateur radio operator in Newport reported a wind gust to 62 mph. At 3:20 PM EST, a tree fell on the front yard of a property near the intersection of Lawrence Avenue ... | 58 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $2K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest high wind and dust records in Rhode Island
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-10-29 | Hurricane Sandy · High WindWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 75 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $96K |
| 2006-01-21 | High WindProvidence County · forecast zone Northwest Providence | 58 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $73K |
| 2016-02-16 | Strong WindProvidence County · forecast zone Northwest Providence | 40 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $31K |
| 2006-12-01 | High WindProvidence County · forecast zone Northwest Providence | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $15K |
| 2025-03-07 | Strong WindProvidence County · forecast zone Northwest Providence One storm episode: 6 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $13K |
| 2020-02-07 | High WindProvidence County · forecast zone Southeast Providence | 49 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $6K |
| 2018-03-02 | High WindNewport County · forecast zone Newport | 58 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-12-19 | Strong WindProvidence County · forecast zone Southeast Providence One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are high wind and dust records becoming more frequent in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Rhode Island | United States | Rhode Island's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 264 | 14,026 | 1.9% |
| 2000s | 139 | 37,254 | 0.4% |
| 2010s | 209 | 41,748 | 0.5% |
| 2020-26 | 118 | 36,300 | 0.3% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent high wind and dust records in Rhode Island
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-19 | Strong WindProvidence County · forecast zone Southeast Providence | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindWashington County · forecast zone Block Island | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-07 | Strong WindProvidence County · forecast zone Northwest Providence | 43 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-03-07 | Strong WindBristol County · forecast zone Bristol | 43 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $300 |
| 2025-03-07 | Strong WindKent County · forecast zone Eastern Kent | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2025-03-07 | Strong WindProvidence County · forecast zone Southeast Providence | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-03-07 | Strong WindWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-03-07 | High WindWashington County · forecast zone Block Island | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-02-07 | High WindProvidence County · forecast zone Southeast Providence | 49 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $6K |
| 2018-03-02 | High WindNewport County · forecast zone Newport | 58 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $2K |
| 2016-02-16 | Strong WindProvidence County · forecast zone Northwest Providence | 40 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $31K |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 75 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $96K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Next
- Newport County: the county's whole recordThe Rhode Island county with the most high wind and dust records per square mile
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