1. Examining The Impacts of Hurricane Sandy
on Rhode Island:
A serious wake-up call!
David R. Vallee
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
Hydrologist-in-Charge
Northeast River Forecast Center
National Weather Service NOAA/NWS/Northeast River Forecast Center Taunton, MA

2. Objectives for this session:
 Quick overview of the atmospheric “chess board”
 Why did we have so much damage on the south coast?
 Placing it in comparison with some of our historical
Hurricanes
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast River Forecast Center
National Weather Service Taunton, MA

3. Consider The Past Two Seasons:
IRENE SANDY
 Irene: Widespread wind damage & power disruption but we
were spared flooding rains & significant coastal flooding
o “It’s all about the wind and rain!”
 Sandy: Significant coastal flooding but with less wind and little
if any rain
o “It’s all about the coastal flooding!”
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast River Forecast Center
National Weather Service Taunton, MA

4. Sandy: A Perfect Storm of Sorts
 Formed in the western Caribbean
o Not at all unusual for late October
 Encountered a very deep trough of Low Pressure in the
eastern United States and very strong High Pressure moving
southward from the Canadian Maritimes
o A winter-type dual jet stream set up (classic for a New England Hurricane)
o Captured Sandy & blocked her attempt to race out to sea
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast River Forecast Center
National Weather Service Taunton, MA

5. Irene’s Winds vs. Sandy’s Winds
IRENE’s Winds Sandy’s Winds
Hurricane Force Wind Gusts
Image: R .Hart, FSU
* Irene’s winds were predominantly from the southeast
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
Sandy’s were mostly northeast – except southern RI late Monday afternoon
• Difference between widespread damage vs. scattered shorter duration damage
National Weather Service

6. Southeast Vs. Northeast Wind Direction
What a difference it makes!
 RI is not “weathered” for southeast high wind events
o Nor is our vegetation!
Wind Frequency and Average Speed by Direction
August through October
http://windhistory.com
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast River Forecast Center
National Weather Service Taunton, MA

7. Long Duration Southeast Fetch
Damaging Waves, Multiple Tide Cycles & a 4-5 ft Storm Surge
 Southeast swells built on 2 days of southeast winds were
driven right into the south coast of RI
o Impacted Multiple Tide Cycles – worst of which was Monday night
o 15-30 foot seas resulted in relentless pounding surf which first weakened then
obliterated the 6-10 foot dunes along parts of the coast
o Storm surge of 4-5 feet atop a “middle-of-the-road” astronomical tide produce a total
water level (storm tide) of 9.6 feet; One foot shy of Hurricane Bob in ’91
o What she lacked in intensity she made up for in duration!

8. Misquamicut Before
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service

9. Misquamicut After
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service

10. What did it look like?
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service

11. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service

12. What did it look like?
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service

13. What should we be expecting on
Atlantic Ave, Westerly, RI?
USACE Hurricane Inundation Maps
- RI & E coast MA recently updated, Buzz. Bay =
June/July
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
- MA/RI maps & GIS layers are available at:
National Weather Service - http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/projects/hes/

14. What did it look like in 1954?
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
Photo:National Weather Service
Courtesy of J. Freedman, CRMC

15. Area Pre-Sandy 2012
Category 2 Inundation
Category 1 Inundation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service

16. Area Pre-Sandy 2012
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service

17. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service

18. Homes floated off foundations
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service

19. Makes me wonder how many homes are not
anchored down!
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service

20. Rhode Island Was Spared The Worst
IRENE SANDY
 We are a tremendously vulnerable State
o Planning is of the utmost importance – it must reflect storm events that
will undoubtedly far exceed the damage from Irene & Sandy
 Shifts in precipitation frequency
o Steadily increasing annual rainfall and frequency of heavy rain events
o 1% / 100 yr storm in the 1960s is now a 2% / 50 yr event!
o Small urban watersheds (Pawtuxet for example) have limited capacity
to deal with these shifts = increased flooding over time (March 2010)

21. Rhode Island Was Spared The Worst
IRENE SANDY
 We cannot ignore sea level rise impacts
o A higher “starting point” means that a storm of lesser severity will be
capable of producing damage to that of a stronger storm
o Lunar Equinox tides now producing localized coastal flooding
o Consider: Category 2 Hurricane producing inundation & damage
comparable to what a Category 3 would have done 50 years ago!
o A “side-swipe” from Sandy produced damage on the south coast
comparable to a Category 1 to 2 type Hurricane!

22. Examining The Impacts of Hurricane Sandy
on Rhode Island:
A serious wake-up call!
THANK YOU!
David R. Vallee
Hydrologist-in-Charge
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast River Forecast Center
National Weather Service NOAA/NWS/Northeast River Forecast Center Taunton, MA