What a Year of Storm Data Shows in Rhode Island
By StormAuditor Editorial Team · Published 2026-08-26 · Updated 2026-08-26
Based on public NOAA and National Weather Service records, published under StormAuditor's methodology and data-source standards. Radar-derived hail sizes are estimates unless attributed to a ground report.
Rhode Island packed 131 storm events into five counties over 12 months. Wind led the year, with estimated gusts to 63 mph in December 2025 and the busiest single day on February 23, 2026.
Rhode Island logged 131 storm events over the past 12 months. Every one of them landed inside just five counties. That makes the smallest state one of the easiest places in the country to read a full year of storm data at a glance.
The mix tells the story. Of those 131 events, 85 were wind, 32 were flood, and 15 were hail. Wind is the hazard that drives most roof and siding questions here, and the calendar backs that up.
A year of data, county by county
Washington County led the state with 40 recorded events. Providence County followed with 26. Kent County logged 23, Newport County 21, and Bristol County 15.
Coastal exposure shows in that ranking. Washington and Newport counties face open water on Block Island Sound and Narragansett Bay. Passing coastal lows and onshore flow account for many of the wind entries along that edge of the state.
Providence County tells a different story. It holds most of the state's rooftops, so even a modest event count there touches a large number of properties.
Wind carried the year
Two winter days stand out. December 19, 2025 brought estimated gusts to 63 mph and 15 separate wind events. February 23, 2026 was the busiest day of the entire year, with 27 wind events and estimated gusts to 59 mph. Both peak gusts sit above the National Weather Service severe-gust criterion of 58 mph.
March 17, 2026 added estimated gusts to 56 mph. Warm-season wind ran tamer: 48 mph on July 2, 2026 and 47 mph on May 30, 2026.
Gusts in the 55-65 mph range can lift shingle tabs, drop limbs, and work loose older siding. A dated gust estimate is often the first thing an adjuster asks about, which is why a wind history estimate is worth pulling early.
Hail stayed small — and that matters
Hail was the rare hazard, with 15 events in 12 months. The year's largest radar-estimated hail was 0.7 inches, on April 17, 2026. July 31, 2026 produced radar-estimated hail to 0.68 inches, and July 4, 2026 reached 0.57 inches.
Look closely at those sizes. Each top hail day came in under StormAuditor's 0.75-inch hail screening threshold. None reached the National Weather Service severe-hail criterion of 1.00 inch. Small hail can still mark soft metals, gutters, and aging shingles, so the dates are still worth checking against any suspected damage window.
Flooding filled out the year. August 3, 2026 was the state's biggest flood day with 9 events, and September 25, 2025 added 7 more. Mixed hail-and-wind days landed on August 29, 2025 and August 13, 2026.
How StormAuditor estimates it
StormAuditor's SAWE-2 wind engine and SAHE-2 hail engine blend NWS warnings, local storm reports, and MRMS radar data into address-level estimates. Every output is an estimate of the public weather record, never a damage finding. The full approach is documented at /methodology/wind and /methodology/hail.
Practical guidance for Rhode Island
Small state, short drives — but the same date-of-loss questions as anywhere else.
- Homeowners: pin down the date before you call anyone. An address lookup estimates which of the year's storm days actually passed over your roof, and which missed you entirely.
- Contractors: February 23, 2026 and December 19, 2025 are the wind dates most likely to surface in conversations this year. Lead with those estimates rather than a vague "recent storms" pitch.
- Adjusters: hazards here separate cleanly by date. Flood clustered on August 3, 2026 and September 25, 2025, while hail and wind mixed on August 29, 2025. A date-of-loss weather research pull sorts a claimed date into the right hazard quickly.
Notable storm days
- February 23, 2026 — statewide — 27 wind events; estimated gusts to 59 mph
- December 19, 2025 — statewide — estimated gusts to 63 mph; 15 wind events
- August 3, 2026 — statewide — 9 flood events
- September 25, 2025 — statewide — 7 flood events
- August 29, 2025 — statewide — 7 events; hail and wind
- April 17, 2026 — statewide — radar-estimated hail to 0.7 in
- August 13, 2026 — statewide — 6 events; hail and wind
Limitations
StormAuditor estimates describe the public weather record, not conditions at a single roofline. Radar hail sizes are modeled, gust values are estimates, and spotter reports skew toward where people live and drive. A gust estimated at 63 mph statewide does not mean every block felt 63 mph. Treat every figure here as a research starting point, and read the full list at /limitations.
Frequently asked questions
How many storm events did Rhode Island record in the last 12 months?
The trailing 12-month window shows 131 events across the state's five counties: 85 wind, 32 flood, and 15 hail.
What was the biggest wind day in Rhode Island this year?
February 23, 2026 produced the most activity, with 27 wind events and estimated gusts to 59 mph. The single highest gust estimate of the year, 63 mph, came on December 19, 2025.
Which Rhode Island county sees the most storm activity?
Washington County led the past 12 months with 40 recorded events. Providence County was second with 26.
Did Rhode Island get large hail in 2026?
The year's largest radar-estimated hail was 0.7 inches, on April 17, 2026. That is below the NWS severe-hail criterion of 1.00 inch, though small hail can still leave cosmetic marks.
Was there hail and wind together in Rhode Island in August?
Yes. August 29, 2025 recorded 7 mixed hail-and-wind events, and August 13, 2026 recorded 6 more.
How do I check storm history for my Rhode Island address?
Run an address lookup on StormAuditor. It estimates which dated events passed near a specific property, so you can match a suspected damage window to the actual record.