Hurricane Bob was a destructive tropical cyclone that impacted the United States East Coast, most notably New England, in the summer of 1991. It was the only hurricane to make a mainland U.S. landfall during that Atlantic season. Its swift movement and intense winds caused major damage, making it one of the region’s costliest storms.
The Storm’s Timeline and Classification
Bob originated near the Bahamas, becoming a tropical depression on August 16, 1991, and a tropical storm later that day. The system tracked northward, achieving hurricane status on August 17 while positioned east of Florida. Bob reached its peak intensity as a Category 3 major hurricane on the morning of August 19, carrying maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour.
The storm weakened slightly as it accelerated toward the New England coast. It made its primary U.S. landfall near Newport, Rhode Island, on the afternoon of August 19 as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 miles per hour. Bob crossed Rhode Island and Massachusetts, making a final landfall near Rockland, Maine, early on August 20 before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone.
Geographic Track and Immediate Impact
Before reaching New England, the hurricane paralleled the East Coast, brushing the Outer Banks of North Carolina on August 18 and 19 with heavy rain and tropical storm-force winds. The center passed just east of Long Island, New York, before crossing Block Island, Rhode Island, and then the mainland near Newport. This track funneled the most destructive winds and storm surge into the region east of the center.
Coastal communities in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts bore the brunt of the storm, experiencing sustained hurricane-force winds between 75 and 100 miles per hour. A peak wind gust of 125 miles per hour was recorded on Cape Cod. The storm generated a significant surge, with tides reaching 10 to 15 feet above normal in parts of Buzzards Bay, causing widespread erosion and property damage.
The consequences of Hurricane Bob were substantial, leading to approximately $1.5 billion in damage (1991 USD), with the majority of the cost concentrated in New England. The storm was responsible for 18 fatalities along the Eastern Seaboard. Over 60 percent of residents across southeastern Rhode Island and Massachusetts lost electrical power due to high winds downing trees and utility poles.