CRMC offers hurricane guidance

August 20, 2025, WAKEFIELD – Hurricane Erin is predicted to pass New England well out to sea, but Rhode Islanders should still prepare for some storm impacts, according to the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC).

Storm conditions are expected to peak Thursday evening, August 21, 2025. With a high tide at 7:27 p.m. in Newport tomorrow, this is likely to be the most dangerous time to be by the water. Current predictions are calling for up to 10-foot waves hitting the south shore, with winds from the North blowing up to 25 miles per hour.

The CRMC website offers a number of resources for property owners, both in preparation for any storms and in post-storm assessments. For resources including National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasting and hurricane track predictions, go to https://www.crmc.ri.gov/coastalstorms.html. The CRMC can issue emergency permits to address any storm-related damage, but they are declared at the discretion of the Executive Director and are generally declared when there are widespread and significant impacts to human health and safety. The last time an emergency permit scenario was declared was following Superstorm Sandy. Emergency Declarations at the municipal, state, and/or federal level are independent of CRMC decision making and does not mean emergency permitting will take place. For more information about those circumstances, see our FAQs here - https://www.crmc.ri.gov/faqs.html and scroll to the bottom.

While it might seem like most years, the NWS and NOAA predict a “busier than average” hurricane season, Rhode Island has not experienced a sever hurricane since the 1950s. CRMC Executive Director Jeff Willis advises Rhode Islanders to listen to event forecasts instead of just seasonal predictions.

“Meteorologists do a great job of explaining where and when active storms are happening and how they may impact our coastline,” he said. Overall, more Rhode Islanders will need to pay attention to the storms off our coastline.

“Looking forward, hurricanes and tropical storms are likely to increase in intensity,” said Emily Hall, CRMC’s coastal geologist. “As sea level rises both hurricanes and ‘nor'easters’ will be more damaging, and the flooding effects will be felt farther inland. Storm surge and wave heights will increase as sea level rises resulting in more properties being damaged or destroyed during a storm, including inland properties that have never before experienced flood damage.”

Although not anticipated during Erin, in the case of significant damage, property owners are encouraged to contact their local building official and have an assessment done after a storm. If an onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) is exposed or damaged, CRMC recommends contacting the RI Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) for an assessment. Permits will be needed from CRMC for any repairs or movement of the structure.

For any necessary minor repairs, property owners could qualify for a maintenance permit from the CRMC. For structures that have incurred more than 50 percent damage (this can be determined by your local building official in cooperation with CRMC), property owners must submit a full assent application to CRMC. Check here for application forms - http://www.crmc.ri.gov/applicationforms.html and again see the FAQs for additional information - http://www.crmc.ri.gov/faqs.html.

Hurricane season typically runs from June through November. Hurricanes in the northern hemisphere have an anticlockwise rotation, so a hurricane tracking to the east of Rhode Island and the East Coast is considered preferable. If a storm were to track to the west, the rotation of the storm would reinforce the forward motion of the storm. However, since Erin is tracking to the east, winds will be moving in the offshore direction, and there will be comparably less storm surge flooding.

According to Hall, this particular hurricane could cause erosion along the south shore of the state, and potential dune overwash in the Matunuck area in South Kingstown. For more information on expected water levels, go to https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/research/twlviewer/.