The three most dsjnaging hurricanes since 1900 occurred in the 

 17 year period betvreen 1938 and 19^h. Two of these, the hurricanes 

 of September 1938 and August 195U (Carol), produced flood levels 

 of 1$ to 16 feet above mean sea level at Providence, Both hurri- 

 canes -were nearly coincident mth gravitational hirh tide, -r-jhich 

 contributed sic;nificantly to the severity of the flooding. The 

 hurricane of September 19UU although a severe storm, struck at a 

 time of low tide and flooding was consequently less severe. 



26. HURRICANE FREQIPWCY 



The distribution of recorded hurricane occurrences in the 

 Narragansett Bay area by estimated degree of intensity isdiown 

 in Table 2, The fact that there is a record of 39 hurricane 

 occurrences in the first ^5 years of the 20th centurj' (1901-19^3'), 

 as compared with 2U occurrences in the 266-year period between 

 I63I5 and 1900 is attributed to the lack of records on early storms 

 and is not believed to be indicative of any trend to-:jard greater 

 frequency of occurrence in recent times. 



TABLE 2 



HURRICANE CCCU.1^J:IJCI-,S , 

 flARMGAiMSI'TT mY AKSA 



Century 

 Intensitj*- 



17th 18th 



lOCTFoO 1701-1600 



19th 



20th 



1601-1900 1901-1955 Total 



Major Tidal 2 

 Flooding 



Loderate Tidal No Itecord 

 Flooding 



12 



13 



Threatened 

 Area, Path 

 nccir H.I, Coast 



Totals 



No Record 



16 



29 



39 



38 



63 



As indicated by rf'Corded facts, the Narrag.insett Bay area has 

 experienced severe hurricane tidal floodnnn- upon eif'ht occasions 

 froni 1815 to 1955, or an average of on*^ occurrence in 20 years. 

 However, reliable information on hurricane hirh-water marks is 

 available only for the three recent hurricanes of 193 ^', 19Uu and 

 i95U. There are no detailed data on the tidal-flood levels attained 



15 



