Storm brings high winds, widespread flooding across state

Updated at 1:53 p.m.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER Service has issued a flood watch across Rhode Island until 1 p.m. Wednesday after a storm brought fierce winds and dumped as much as 5 inches of rain across the state, which saw a high of 11 inches of snow on Monday. /COURTESY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

PROVIDENCE – The state is cleaning up once again from another powerful storm two days after it endured its first major snowfall in two years.

This time heavy rain and high winds caused widespread flooding, power outages and school closures.

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The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch across Rhode Island until 1 p.m. Wednesday after 5 inches of rain fell across the state.

Flood warnings were issued for the Blackstone River, Wood River, Pawtuxet River and Pawcatuck River. The National Weather Service on Wednesday said the flooding that was occurring along the Blackstone River in Woonsocket and Pawtuxet River in Cranston, could be worse than Hurricanes Connie and Diane in 1955.

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Flooding forced 35 West Warwick residents out of their homes along Knight, Westerly and Vine streets, WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported. Those evacuated were sheltered at the West Warwick Civic Center. 

Battalion Chief Paul Boisclair told WPRI water was seen rushing quickly down the roads and boats were deployed to rescue residents when crews arrived at the scene around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday. 

“I’ve never seen it this bad in this area,” Boisclair said. “I’ve been in West Warwick for 35 years and I’ve never seen this much water on this side of the town,” adding that some basements had 4-5 feet of standing water.

Flood water and stranded vehicles forced the temporary closure of both the north- and south-bound lanes of Route 146 near Exit 5 in Lincoln and an apartment complex in Johnston was evacuated, WPRI reported. 

Pawtucket City Hall delayed its opening until noon Wednesday due to various leaks and water damage sustained in the building’s tower.

Flooding at the Newport Historical Society damaged nearly 8,000 treasured historic photographs, including images that were donated to the society by the Newport Daily News, which capture important historic moments and beloved community events such parades, high school graduations, spelling bees as well as the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals.

Wind gusts as high as 84 miles per hour were reported along the Pell Bridge in Newport, forcing the R.I. Turnpike and Transit Authority to restrict the Pell and Jamestown-Verrazzano bridges Wednesday to automobiles, pickup trucks, flatbed trailers and commercial buses.

The R.I. Department of Transportation canceled ferry service from Bristol to Providence.

As of 11 a.m., 117 Rhode Island Energy customers were without power. Gov. Daniel J. McKee said Tuesday that 160 line crews and 100 tree crews were staged in critical areas and R.I. State Police added extra personnel ahead of the heavy rainfall.

(Update: Damage at Newport Historical Society added in 10th paragraph.)

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