Strange Tidal Flow in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay was Tsunami

Marine scientists say a strange rise and fall in the water of Narragansett Bay earlier this month was a small tsunami.

Chris Kincaid, an assistant professor at the University of Rhode Island’s School of Oceanography, tells the Providence Journal the June 13th anomaly likely was caused by a derecho, a straight line of thunderstorms out at sea that caused the pressure over the ocean to suddenly drop.

The tsunami hit at about 4 p.m. Eric Collins, general manager of the Pleasant Street Marina, says the water level in Wickford Harbor went up and down a couple of feet over a period of 20 minutes.

Charles Ebersole, a steward at the Wickford Yacht Club, says the current caused boats to rip a cleat and some stanchions from the docks.