Rhode Island is one of the least tornado-prone states in the country, with 20 confirmed tornadoes, 139 hailstorm events and 336 damaging-wind events recorded by the National Weather Service since 1950. The state ranks among the lowest in the country for tornado frequency, and averages 0.3 tornadoes per year over the 75-year record. Rhode Island’s severe-weather record is dominated by winter storms, nor’easters and infrequent but occasionally damaging summer tornadoes. The interactive map below plots every significant severe-weather event in Rhode Island from the official NOAA Storm Events Database (1950 through September 2025).
Use the map to find your county, click any marker for the date, magnitude, and casualty details of that event, and switch between tornadoes, hail and wind using the chips. For the national view across all 50 states, see our NOAA Storm Reports interactive map. For tornado tracks specifically, see the US Tornado Tracks map; for hail size and frequency, the US Hailstorms map.
—Significant events
—Tornadoes
—Hailstorms ≥ 2″
—Wind ≥ 65 kt
—Direct deaths
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Rhode Island Severe Weather by the Numbers (1950–2025)
20 tornadoes recorded between 1950 and 2025
2 violent tornadoes rated F2/EF2 or stronger
139 hailstorm events recorded by the NWS
336 damaging-wind events on record
0.3 tornadoes per year on average across the 75-year record
14 total direct deaths from all severe-weather event types tracked by the NWS
When Rhode Island Severe Weather Happens
Rhode Island has too few recorded tornadoes (20 over 75 years) to identify a meaningful seasonality pattern. The state’s dominant severe-weather hazards differ from the tornado-driven climate of the central United States — explore the map above for the full mix of hail, wind and other recorded events.
Record-Setting Severe Weather in Rhode Island
Largest hailstone: 2.75 inches in diameter, observed in Washington County near Richmond on June 30, 1998. The three largest hailstones on record in Rhode Island measured 2.75″, 2.00″, 1.75″.
Highest measured wind gust: 72 knots (83 mph) recorded in Washington County near Charlestown on August 4, 2015. Most damaging-wind events in Rhode Island are estimated rather than measured because anemometers are sparse across the rural areas where supercells most often produce destructive thunderstorm winds.
How Rhode Island Compares Nationally
Rhode Island ranks among the lowest in the country for tornado frequency, with severe-weather activity well below the central-US average.
Rhode Island tornado total: 20 — ranked 50th nationally.
Rhode Island hail total: 139 hail events on record since 1950.
Rhode Island wind total: 336 damaging-wind events on record since 1950.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tornadoes does Rhode Island have on average per year?
Rhode Island averages 0.3 tornadoes per year over the 1950–2025 period. Counts vary widely year to year, but the long-term mean over 75 years of NWS records is a reliable benchmark for typical activity.
How does Rhode Island compare to its neighbors?
Rhode Island shares a severe-weather climate with Connecticut, Massachusetts. Severe storms regularly cross state lines, so the same supercells, hail cores and wind events often appear in Rhode Island’s neighbors’ records on the same date.
How recent is the data on this map?
The map and statistics on this page are pulled from NOAA’s official Storm Events Database, which currently runs from January 1950 through September 2025. New records typically appear in the database within 30–90 days of the event date, once damage surveys and ratings are complete.
Compare Rhode Island to Neighboring States
Severe weather doesn’t stop at state lines. The same supercell systems that produce Rhode Island tornadoes regularly cross into neighboring states. Compare Rhode Island’s storm history to its land neighbors:
I'm Daniel O'Donohue, the voice and creator behind The MapScaping Podcast ( A podcast for the geospatial community ). With a professional background as a geospatial specialist, I've spent years harnessing the power of spatial to unravel the complexities of our world, one layer at a time.
