175
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$1.7M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Providence County, Rhode Island: 175 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 70. That places the county #1,268 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Providence County, Rhode Island: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Providence County is the 2010s, when 60 of the county's 175 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Providence County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 38.8% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,268 for this hazard and #1 within Rhode Island, putting it in the 59.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Providence County with 47 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4, 2023 | HUGHESDALE | 50 | 0 | 2 | $1K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2025 | OAK LAWN | 50 | $800 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | JOHNSTON | 50 | $300 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | HARBOR JCT | 50 | $300 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | ESMOND | 50 | $800 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | PAWTUCKET | 50 | $5K |
| Jul 9, 2025 | HARRISVILLE | 50 | $300 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | EDGEWOOD | 50 | $5K |
| Aug 2, 2024 | SMITHFIELD | 50 | $1K |
| Jun 27, 2024 | RUMFORD | 50 | $500 |
| Jun 27, 2024 | LONSDALE | 50 | $1K |
Other hazards here
More from Providence County
- Flash Flood 74
- Flood 72
- Hail 63
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous trees, utility poles, utility lines, and wires were downed across North Providence and Providence as the result of a microburst. This included 42 trees in Roger Williams Park and more than 200 trees on city property. Trees were downed onto cars and buildings.
A microburst likely caused 20 to 30 trees to be snapped off. Some fell onto a house and a truck. Most of the damage occurred along a swath one-half mile long by one to two blocks wide in the Village of Greenville, which is part of Smithfield. Up to 7,500 electric customers lost power in the area. Some residents claimed that they may have seen a funnel cloud.
An amateur radio operator recorded a 60 mph wind gust on their home weather station. In addition, a tree on Durfee Hill Road was downed onto wires. Trees in Bowdish Lake Campground were downed onto recreational vehicles and wires in George Washington Campground were downed.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Providence County, Rhode Island?
175 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Providence County between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Providence County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Providence County measured 70.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Providence County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Providence County, Rhode Island.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/rhode-island/providence-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.