Kent County, Rhode Island severe weather history spans 184 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 41.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,535 nationally and #2 in Rhode Island.
184
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$28.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Kent County, Rhode Island severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Kent County, Rhode Island severe weather history averages 2.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 61 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 12 events fall before 1990 and 172 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $27.1M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Kent County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 76 | 0 | $457K | 70 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 31 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1956–2024 |
| Flood | 28 | 0 | $27.1M | 0 | 2006–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 21 | 0 | $387K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 16 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2022 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $464K | 0 | 1997–2018 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $250K | F1 | 1990–1994 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2004 |
Decade by decade
Kent County, Rhode Island severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-10-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-08-13 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Kent County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2009 | Lightning | COVENTRY | 0 | 9 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain fell across Coventry, RI resulting in substantial flash flooding. Route 117 was flooded at several points, including near Route 116 under the railroad trestle, near South Main, and near Paine Memorial Field. Many cars became stuck in flood waters along Route 117. The area near 1070 Tiogue Avenue was flooded and impassable. The intersection of Hopkins Hill Road and Tiogue Avenue was flooded with four cars stuck in the flood waters. The intersection of Laurel Avenue and Washington Street was flooded and impassable. Hopkins Hill Road was closed due to flooding between South Main Street and Route 3.
Heavy rain resulted in flash flooding that wreaked havoc across much of central Rhode Island. In Coventry, numerous streets were flooded with three to four feet of water, including Arnold Avenue. Cars were stuck in the flood waters on Sandy Bottom Road and Hopkins Hill Road, one with three kids trapped inside. There was also a three car accident on Worthington Street due to flooding. ||In West Warwick, Route 33 at Route 115 and Washington Street was flooded with ten inches of water on the road. The fire department headquarters also was flooded.||In Warwick, two and a half feet of water flooded Route 2. At the intersection of Route 5 and New London Avenue, cars were floating. Radar rainfall rates were eight to ten inches per hour at this time.
The Automated Surface Observing System at T.F. Green State Airport (KPVD) recorded a 67 mph wind gust. A few miles away, several trees were downed, blocking part of Interstate 295 near the Warwick-Cranston town line. At least nine roads were blocked by trees or utility poles.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
171,456
Population (ACS)
$366K
Median home value
23
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 12, 2022 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Aug 21, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HENRI | EM |
| Mar 30, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Kent County, Rhode Island?
184 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $28.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Kent County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 76 recorded events — 41.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Kent County?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Kent County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Kent County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Kent County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Kent County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 69 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Kent County, Rhode Island severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
Cite this page
“Kent County, Rhode Island.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/rhode-island/kent-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.