Bristol County, Rhode Island Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Bristol County, Rhode Island as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1851, 29 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Bristol County, Rhode Island — about one every 6.0 years. Of those, 10 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Elsa (2021), which passed 3 miles away on 9 July 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

6.0

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 3 · 2Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 4TS / TD · 19

The 29 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentElsa (2021) — 3 mi away, 9 July 2021
Strongest stormCarol (1954) — 100 kt (115 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1944) — 0.8 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1869) — 27.8 miles
Passes within 25 miles9 of 29
Peak monthSeptember — 12 storms (41% of all)
Most active year1869 — 2 storms
Most active decade1990s — 4 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi2
Record span1851–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Bristol County, Rhode Island, September is the most active month, with 12 of the 29 recorded storms (41%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 79% of all activity. The 1990s was the most active decade on record, with 4 storms. 2 of the 29 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	1	0	4	6	12	5	1	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 6 storms in 1950–1987 against 6 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	3	3	2	3	1	1	1	0	1	3	2	0	1	4	1	0	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Elsa (2021)	9 Jul 2021	3.3 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Hermine (2004)	31 Aug 2004	23.7 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Floyd (1999)	17 Sep 1999	49.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Bertha (1996)	14 Jul 1996	41.6 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Beryl (1994)	19 Aug 1994	41.9 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Bob (1991)	19 Aug 1991	11.6 mi	Cat 1	81 kt
Henri (1985)	25 Sep 1985	38.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	15 Sep 1961	47.2 mi	TS / TD	56 kt
Donna (1960)	12 Sep 1960	35.5 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Cindy (1959)	11 Jul 1959	28.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Edna (1954)	11 Sep 1954	45.9 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Carol (1954)	31 Aug 1954	29.6 mi	Cat 2	93 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	15 Sep 1944	0.8 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	19 Oct 1923	28.6 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	21 Jul 1916	12.8 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1908)	31 May 1908	22.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	24 Sep 1897	30.6 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	10 Sep 1896	32.4 mi	TS / TD	61 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	37.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	25 Sep 1889	46.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	22 Aug 1888	28.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	19 Aug 1879	32.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	19 Sep 1876	37.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	27 Oct 1872	6.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1869)	4 Oct 1869	45.7 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1869)	8 Sep 1869	27.8 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	3 Nov 1861	19.7 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	16 Sep 1858	32.5 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	19 Oct 1851	17.9 mi	TS / TD	43 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 16 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here. Showing the 9 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Ida (2021)	Post-tropical	2 Sep 2021	48.9 mi	40 kt
Henri (2021)	Remnant low	24 Aug 2021	11.3 mi	20 kt
Andrea (2013)	Post-tropical	8 Jun 2013	13.4 mi	40 kt
Hanna (2008)	Post-tropical	7 Sep 2008	25.1 mi	45 kt
Barry (2007)	Post-tropical	4 Jun 2007	9.2 mi	35 kt
Charley (2004)	Post-tropical	15 Aug 2004	36.3 mi	30 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	20 Sep 2000	6.8 mi	27 kt
Alma (1966)	Post-tropical	14 Jun 1966	27.9 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	Post-tropical	15 Sep 1904	16.8 mi	73 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1851–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How Bristol County, Rhode Island compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Bristol County, Rhode Island ranks #547 — more exposed than 75.2% of them. Within Rhode Island it ranks #1 of 5, against a state average of 27.6 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Carol (1954) passed 30 miles away on 31 August 1954 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1869) passed 28 miles away on 8 September 1869 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Edna (1954) passed 46 miles away on 11 September 1954 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Bob (1991) passed 12 miles away on 19 August 1991 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.

29 of the 29 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 6.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 29 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 2 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 24 years, between 1961 and 1985. It has been 4 years since the last one; 14 of the 26 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Bristol County, Rhode Island?

10 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Bristol County, Rhode Island at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 29.

When was the last hurricane in Bristol County, Rhode Island?

Bob (1991), on 19 August 1991, passing 12 miles away — 35 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Elsa (2021) in 2021.

What was the strongest storm to affect Bristol County, Rhode Island?

Carol (1954), which reached 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 30 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Bristol County, Rhode Island?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 6.0 years — 29 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Bristol County, Rhode Island borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Kent County, Rhode Island has 28 on record.

Kent County, Rhode Island28 storms within 50 mi Providence County, Rhode Island28 storms within 50 mi Bristol County, Massachusetts28 storms within 50 mi Newport County, Rhode Island26 storms within 50 mi