Prehistoric Subsistence on the Southern New England Coast: The Record from Narragansett Bay. David J. Bernstein. Academic Press, San Diego, 1993. xvi + 188 pp., figures, tables, appendixes, references, index. $55.00 (cloth).

1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 572-573
Author(s):  
Arthur E. Spiess
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
San Diego ◽  
Narragansett Bay ◽  
Academic Press ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Prehistoric Subsistence

scholarly journals Assessing the Multiple Impacts of Extreme Hurricanes in Southern New England, USA

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 265 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Ullman ◽  
Isaac Ginis ◽  
Wenrui Huang ◽  
Catherine Nowakowski ◽  
Xuanyu Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Storm Surge ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
The United States ◽  
Narragansett Bay ◽  
Power Outage ◽  
River Inflow ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Major Hurricane ◽  
The City

The southern New England coast of the United States is particularly vulnerable to land-falling hurricanes because of its east-west orientation. The impact of two major hurricanes on the city of Providence (Rhode Island, USA) during the middle decades of the 20th century spurred the construction of the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier (FPHB) to protect the city from storm surge flooding. Although the Rhode Island/Narragansett Bay area has not experienced a major hurricane for several decades, increased coastal development along with potentially increased hurricane activity associated with climate change motivates an assessment of the impacts of a major hurricane on the region. The ocean/estuary response to an extreme hurricane is simulated using a high-resolution implementation of the ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) model coupled to the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS). The storm surge response in ADCIRC is first verified with a simulation of a historical hurricane that made landfall in southern New England. The storm surge and the hydrological models are then forced with winds and rainfall from a hypothetical hurricane dubbed “Rhody”, which has many of the characteristics of historical storms that have impacted the region. Rhody makes landfall just west of Narragansett Bay, and after passing north of the Bay, executes a loop to the east and the south before making a second landfall. Results are presented for three versions of Rhody, varying in the maximum wind speed at landfall. The storm surge resulting from the strongest Rhody version (weak Saffir–Simpson category five) during the first landfall exceeds 7 m in height in Providence at the north end of the Bay. This exceeds the height of the FPHB, resulting in flooding in Providence. A simulation including river inflow computed from the runoff model indicates that if the Barrier remains closed and its pumps fail (for example, because of a power outage or equipment failure), severe flooding occurs north of the FPHB due to impoundment of the river inflow. These results show that northern Narragansett Bay could be particularly vulnerable to both storm surge and rainfall-driven flooding, especially if the FPHB suffers a power outage. They also demonstrate that, for wind-driven storm surge alone under present sea level conditions, the FPHB will protect Providence for hurricanes less intense than category five.

Late Woodland Settlement and Subsistence in Southern New England Revisited: The Evidence from Coastal Rhode Island

2000 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph N. Waller
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
Late Woodland ◽  
Narragansett Bay ◽  
Contact Period ◽  
European Contact ◽  
Southern New England

Archaeological investigations at Woodland sites in the Narragansett Bay drainage have aided in a refinement of Late Woodland settlement and subsistence models. Popular theory holds that intensive maize horticulture and the formation of tribal villages occurred relatively late in the prehistoric period or possibly were the result of European Contact. Archaeological investigations in coastal sections of Rhode Island indicate that village settlements and likely intensive maize horticulture were elements of Late Woodland settlement and subsistence behavior in and around Narragansett Bay and not Contact period phenomena.

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