APPENDIX A 



HISTORY OF HURRICME TID.'U. FLOODING 



A-1. HISTORICAL RESEARCH 



A review of historical records and newspaper files indicates 

 that a momber of hiirricanes and cyclonic storms have reached the 

 coast of southern New England -tjith devastating force, while 

 numerous other storms have passed so close tnat a slight change 

 in meteorological conditions could nave resulted in severe damage. 

 The records indicate that from 1635 to present the Narragansett 

 Bay area has experienced or has been threatened by hurricane 

 tidal flooding upon 63 occasions. The greater number of these 

 hurricanes, passing some distance away, did not cause significant 

 tidal flooding in the Narragansett Bay area, however they did 

 present a potential threat of such flooding. Existing records 

 indicate that the ten hurricanes which have created the most 

 severe tidal flooding in the Narragansett Bay area are as follows* 

 in the order of their estimated magnitude: 



December 10, I878 

 October 30, I866 

 September 8, I869 

 October 23, I878 

 September II4., 19hh 



The early hurricanes were not accompanied by so great a loss 

 of life and property due to the lesser degree of development in 

 the Narragansett Bay area. However, tidal flooding as described 

 in records of the very earliest hurricanes spears to have been 

 the greatest ever experienced in the bay area. 



A- 2. SUfillARY OF HURRICANE OCCURRENCES 



A total of 63 hurricanes which are known to have either hit 

 or narrowly missed the Rhode Island coast is siammarized in Table 

 A-1. These hurricanes have been classified to indicate their 

 magnitude in the Narragansett Bay area, as follows: 



lype A - Major tidal flooding 



Type B - Moderate tidal flooding 



A-1 



