Thirty-five years ago today, Rhode Island got a direct hit.
On Aug. 19, 1991, Hurricane Bob roared ashore in Newport, bringing hurricane-force winds, pounding surf and widespread destruction to Southern New England.
Bob had formed near the Bahamas just three days earlier before rapidly strengthening and racing north. Its eye crossed Block Island around 1:30 p.m. before making landfall in Newport shortly before 2 p.m.
Then all hell broke loose.
Coastal Rhode Island was hammered by sustained winds of 75 to 100 mph. Block Island recorded 90 mph sustained winds with gusts topping 105 mph, while Newport saw gusts approaching 100 mph.
Trees and utility poles came crashing down. Boats were ripped from their moorings. More than 60% of residents across southeastern Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts lost power.
Along the Rhode Island coast, Bob pushed ashore a 5- to 8-foot storm surge, while extensive erosion chewed away beaches from Westerly eastward.
Narragansett Bay became a violent refuge for vessels riding out the storm. The Navy ship Samuel B. Roberts, positioned in the East Passage between Newport and Jamestown, recorded gusts near 100 mph. The USS Valdez recorded a barometric pressure of just 28.47 inches.
Elsewhere, the destruction was even worse.
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