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Hail history in Rhode Island

NOAA hail reports within 15 miles of the center of Providence since 2010: 19 hail days, largest 2.0 in.

Brick mid-rise apartments and older commercial blocks under heavy grey clouds
Hail days near Providence since 2010, the most in Rhode Island
19
Largest hail reported, near Providence
2.0 in
Rhode Island city tracked
1

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

Rhode Island cities by hail days

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

CityHail days since 2010Largest hail
Providence192.0 in

About this data

  • Each city counts reports within 15 miles of its center, not of any one property.
  • Reports come from trained spotters and the public, so they cluster near towns and roads.
  • No report does not mean no hail. Hail can fall where no one is there to report it.
  • This is not a damage or insurance assessment.

Storm risk in Rhode Island

Hurricanes and coastal flooding are the storm risks that matter most for buildings in Rhode Island, followed by nor'easters that bring wind, surge and snow, then summer thunderstorm wind and hail. Tornadoes are rare.2,3,4 NOAA counts 10 hurricane direct hits on Rhode Island from 1851 to 2018, 3 of them major: as many major hits as New York and more than Connecticut or Massachusetts, though far fewer than Florida's 37. Only 10 tornadoes were recorded in the state from 1953 to 2010.2,4

How often storms hit Rhode Island

Storm hazards for Rhode Island buildings2,6,3,12,5,1,4,17
HazardHow oftenWhat it means for buildings
Hurricanes and tropical storms10 hurricane direct hits from 1851 to 2018: 5 Category 1, 2 Category 2 and 3 Category 3. The Atlantic season runs June 1 to November 30.Wind strips roof coverings, edge metal and rooftop equipment and drives rain inside. Surge and waves flood and undermine buildings around Narragansett Bay and on the south coast.
Coastal floodingSea levels rose about 6 inches from 1970 to 2020, and NOAA's state summary expects rising seas to increase coastal flooding and erosion in nor'easters and hurricanes.Ground floors, basements, parking levels, elevator pits and electrical rooms near the shore flood first. Rebuilding near the shore needs a state coastal permit.
Damaging thunderstorm windDamaging wind reports on an average of 22 days a year from 1980 to 2006 within 124 nautical miles of the Boston (Taunton) radar, an area that takes in Rhode Island.Downbursts peel roof membranes and edge metal, topple rooftop units and drop trees onto buildings and parked cars.
Hail19 hail days since 2010 within 15 miles of Providence, with hail up to 2 inches. In the Boston radar area, hail was reported on an average of 12 days a year from 1980 to 2006, and 37 of 1,279 reports were 2 inches or larger.Most hail here is small, but larger stones crack skylights, dent metal roofs and siding and flatten the fins on rooftop units.
Tornadoes10 recorded from 1953 to 2010.Rare, but even a weak tornado can strip roof coverings, break windows and drop trees on buildings.
Winter storms and coldAverage snowfall from 20 inches on Block Island to more than 60 inches in parts of western Rhode Island, with nor'easters that bring snow, sleet or freezing rain, strong winds and coastal flooding.FEMA says drifting snow, rain on snow and ice dams can load a roof past its design. Nor'easter wind and surge hit the same coastal buildings hurricanes do.

A hail day is a day since 2010 with at least one NOAA hail report within 15 miles of a city's center. It shows how often hail falls near a city, not whether it hit a given building, and because people make the reports, they cluster near towns and roads.1

The radar-area counts cover much of southern New England, not Rhode Island alone, so they show how often damaging storms pass through the region rather than how often any one property is hit.5

Rules owners in Rhode Island should know

  • FAIR Plan: the Rhode Island Joint Reinsurance Association, also called the Rhode Island FAIR Plan, provides basic property insurance on eligible property for applicants who can't get it in the voluntary market, without regard to environmental conditions at the location. Its commercial program uses the standard property policy, with windstorm or hail as an optional cause of loss, and takes all commercial properties plus habitational properties not eligible for its dwelling or homeowners programs.7,8
  • Storm binding limits: while the National Weather Service has a tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning out for any point on the US coast north of latitude 35.3 North, the FAIR Plan attaches a windstorm and hail limitation to new applications with no prior or lapsed coverage and to coverage increases. It suspends wind and hail cover for the storm and 24 hours after the watch or warning ends. It is not attached for a new purchase closing in that period, or for an owner whose prior insurer canceled or nonrenewed without a lapse.8
  • Hurricane deductibles: under the state's hurricane deductible law, written for residential property insurance on dwelling houses, a windstorm deductible may not exceed 5 percent of insured value and applies only from the National Hurricane Center's first hurricane warning for any part of the state until 24 hours after the last one ends. Insurers must illustrate it with at least two examples and give a premium credit, and may not apply it if the owner has installed approved windstorm mitigation and the insurer has inspected it or received proof (R.I. Gen. Laws 27-76-2).9
  • Claim deadlines: insurers must acknowledge a claim in writing within 15 days and tell a first-party claimant whether the claim is accepted or denied within 21 days after receiving properly executed proofs of loss. If they need more time, they must say why within those 21 days and again every 45 days. An insurer still discussing settlement must give a first-party claimant written notice of any statute of limitations at least 30 days before it expires (230-RICR-20-40-2).10
  • Bad faith: an insured may sue an insurer that wrongfully and in bad faith refuses to pay or settle a claim, or to perform its obligations on time, and may seek compensatory and punitive damages and reasonable attorney fees (R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-33).11
  • Coastal permits: property within Coastal Resources Management Council jurisdiction, generally 200 feet inland from the coast, needs a council permit as well as a local building permit to rebuild. After a major storm the council may issue emergency permits on site and at no cost, for repair and maintenance only, and in-kind repairs may qualify for a Maintenance Certification.12,13

Before the next storm

  • Evacuation zone: look up each coastal property on the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency's hurricane evacuation maps for the 21 coastal communities. Zone A is recommended to be evacuated before an expected Category 1 or 2 hurricane and Zone B before a Category 3 or 4.14
  • Flood policy timing: allow 30 days for new flood coverage. FEMA says an NFIP policy typically takes effect 30 days after purchase.15
  • Roof edges: have low-slope roofs checked at the edges, parapets and rooftop equipment before hurricane season and after high winds. FEMA says the roof border is at more risk from wind uplift and wind-driven rain than the rest of the roof.16
  • Snow drifts: after heavy snow, have a qualified person check drifts at parapets, roof steps and rooftop equipment. FEMA's warning signs of an overloaded roof include sagging ceiling tiles, sprinkler heads dropping below the ceiling and doors that stick.17

Sources

Written by the Cloudbreak team. Numbers, dates and rules cite the published sources below.

  1. 1. Cloudbreak: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center storm reports, as counted on the Cloudbreak hail history page for Rhode Island
  2. 2. NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Research Division: TCFAQ E19: How many direct hits by hurricanes of various categories have affected each state?
  3. 3. NOAA NCEI and North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies: Rhode Island: 2025 State Climate Summaries
  4. 4. NOAA National Climatic Data Center (UNT Digital Library copy): Storm Data 2010 Annual Summaries: Tornadoes, tornado days and deaths by state, 1953 to 2010
  5. 5. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: BOX (Boston/Taunton) Severe Weather Climatology, 1980 to 2006
  6. 6. NOAA National Hurricane Center: Tropical Cyclone Climatology
  7. 7. Rhode Island Joint Reinsurance Association (Rhode Island FAIR Plan): The Rhode Island Joint Reinsurance Association
  8. 8. Rhode Island Joint Reinsurance Association (Rhode Island FAIR Plan): Producer's Operations Manual (April 2025)
  9. 9. General Laws of Rhode Island: R.I. Gen. Laws 27-76-2: Hurricane deductibles, triggers, and policyholder notice
  10. 10. Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Division of Insurance: 230-RICR-20-40-2: Unfair Property/Casualty Claims Settlement Practices
  11. 11. Rhode Island General Assembly: R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-33: Insurer's bad faith refusal to pay a claim
  12. 12. Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council: Rebuilding after the Storm
  13. 13. Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council: Frequently Asked Questions
  14. 14. Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency: Evacuation
  15. 15. Federal Emergency Management Agency: Waiting Period for Activating Flood Policy?
  16. 16. Federal Emergency Management Agency: FEMA P-2181, Fact Sheet 3.3.2: Roof Systems, Low-Slope Roofs (March 2022)
  17. 17. Federal Emergency Management Agency: Snow Load Safety Guidance (FEMA P-957)

Storms in Rhode Island

SPC counts for 1980 to 2006 around the Boston (Taunton) radar, whose 124-nautical-mile range takes in Rhode Island, put the main severe weather season from mid-May to late August, with hail reports peaking in June and July and damaging wind reports in July.1

Notable storms

  1. May 8, 2024Hail up to 2 inches across fell in Narragansett, with 1.5-inch hail in Jamestown and 1.25-inch hail in West Warwick.2,3
  2. August 18, 2023An EF2 tornado with winds near 115 mph tracked 9.1 miles through Scituate, Johnston and North Providence. It damaged roofs and windows, dropped trees on homes and left two North Providence homes uninhabitable. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $250,000 in property damage.4
  3. August 22, 2021Tropical Storm Henri made landfall on Block Island and near Westerly with 55-knot (63 mph) winds, and Point Judith measured a 61-knot (70 mph) gust. State emergency managers counted about 60 damaged homes in Newport County, 33 in Washington County and about 20 in Bristol County.5,6
  4. June 29, 2019Hail 1.75 inches across fell on Lincoln and Cumberland, and 1-inch hail fell in Scituate.7
  5. October 29, 2012Superstorm Sandy's waves washed three South Kingstown beach cottages off their foundations and piled sand up to 6 feet deep on Atlantic Avenue at Misquamicut. Westerly reported an 86 mph gust. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $4.7 million in coastal flood damage in Washington County, $3.1 million on Block Island and $3 million in Newport County.8,9,10,11
  6. July 18, 2012Hail 2 inches across fell at Cumberland Hill, 1.75-inch hail fell in Pascoag, and hail from nickel to golf ball size fell in Smithfield and North Smithfield.12,13,14

Warnings and alerts

NWS Boston covers all of Rhode Island. The state uses CodeRED to send emergency alerts by phone, text or email to people who register at riema.ri.gov.15,16

Sources

  1. 1. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: BOX Severe Weather Climatology
  2. 2. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Washington County hail near Narragansett, May 8, 2024
  3. 3. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: Storm Reports for May 8, 2024
  4. 4. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Scituate to North Providence tornado, August 18, 2023
  5. 5. National Hurricane Center: Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Henri
  6. 6. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Tropical Storm Henri in Washington County, August 22, 2021
  7. 7. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Providence County hail, June 29, 2019
  8. 8. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Superstorm Sandy coastal flooding in Washington County, October 29, 2012
  9. 9. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Superstorm Sandy high wind in Washington County, October 29, 2012
  10. 10. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Superstorm Sandy coastal flooding on Block Island, October 29, 2012
  11. 11. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Superstorm Sandy coastal flooding in Newport County, October 29, 2012
  12. 12. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Providence County hail at Cumberland Hill, July 18, 2012
  13. 13. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Providence County hail in Pascoag, July 18, 2012
  14. 14. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Providence County hail in Smithfield, July 18, 2012
  15. 15. National Weather Service: Rhode Island County Warning Forecast Areas
  16. 16. Rhode Island Department of Health: 3 Easy Ways to Start Getting Prepared Today

Hail history in other states