at Providence. The forward speed of the hurricane close to 

 Narragansett Bay was about UO knots. Tide curves at Newport, 

 Providence, and at Fall River-Somerset are shovm on Plate B-3. 

 Hurricane flood levels are shown on Plate6B-6 and B-7 for the 

 same areas as for the September 1938 hurricane (see paragraph 

 B-12). 



E-15. FREQUENCY OF TIDAL FLCX)DING 



Although hurricane tidal flooding has been recorded since 

 1635 in the Narragansett Bay area, records are meager as to 

 elevations and number of occurrences until recent years, A 

 flood frequency relationship has been approximated using the 

 records of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey gages of the 

 last 25 years and adjusting the records of the great floods of 

 1938 and 195U, which occunred in this period, to a llil-year 

 period for which newspaper accounts are available on disastrous 

 tidal floods. 



Table B-5 gives a chronological list of hurricanes or 

 severe storms causing tidal flooding or high tides in the 

 Narragansett Bay area, with available data regarding the maximum 

 tidal elevation at Providence. Plate B-U is a graphical presenta- 

 tion of the same data. Information regarding these hurricanes and 

 severe storms was obtained by a historical search of the original 

 sources of iniormation, as described in Appendix A, 



TABIE B-5 

 HURRICAMES OR SEVERE STORl'© 

 NARRAGANSETT BAY AREA 



(1635 to 1955) 



Maximum Tidal Elevation at 

 Providence, R.I. 



B-13 



