Henri hits Rhode Island coast, home to multimillion-dollar mega mansions owned by A-List celebrities

Some celebrity getaways in Rhode Island may be in danger of succumbing to Tropical Storm Henri. 

The storm made landfall in the state near Westerly on Sunday, which just so happens to be close to where many stars have lavish mansions. Henri was downgraded to a tropical storm before landfall, as dangerous storm surge, strong gusty winds and flooding rainfall are expected across portions of northeastern United States, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center. 

TROPICAL STORM HENRI CANCELS MORE THAN 800 FLIGHTS FROM NORTHEAST AIRPORTS

As of 11 a.m. ET, maximum sustained winds registered at 60 mph. 

Flood warnings extended from coastal Connecticut and Rhode Island to the luxurious oceanfront estates of New York’s Hamptons, as tropical storm conditions are spreading inland across portions of New England. 

A weather-flow station in Block Island, Rhode Island reported a sustained wind of 50 mph and a gust of 63 mph. At Point Judith, Rhode Island, sustained winds measured at 43 mph with a gust to 51 mph.

As average New Englanders prepare to battle flooding and strong winds that threaten their properties, so too do A-list celebrities who have multimillion-dollar mansions in the area, particularly along the coastline. 

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Taylor Swift

Perhaps one of the most high-profile stars with a Rhode Island Home is the "Folklore" singer, who bought an 11,000-square-foot Rhode Island mansion for $17.75 million in 2013, reportedly all in cash. 

Variety notes that the mansion was built in 1930 right along Watch Hill beach. It features a 700 foot shoreline view of Little Narragansett Bay. She has been known to host lavish star-studded Fourth of July celebrations at the sprawling eight-bedroom mansion in the past.

Jay Leno

Forbes reports that Jay Leno and his wife of 40 years brought a home in Newport, RI for $13.5 million in 2017. The property is a 15,861-square-foot Louis XIV-inspired chateau called Seafair. The home was designed and built by British architect William Mackenzie Jr. and, like Swift, the property can also boast a wonderful view of the Atlantic, which might be more of a curse than a blessing as the Tropical Storm hits the state. The gated compound also features a tennis court, pool and, of course, a six-car garage to house the former late-night talk show host’s expensive collection. 

Conan O’Brien

The late-night talk show, who aired his final episode earlier this year on TBS, typically keeps it low-key but he’s been spotted around the beach community of Westerly since 2014 when The Providence Journal reports he purchased a $723,000 home. He faced some issues that year when he almost lost the home due to an $8,000 bill he owed in back taxes. However, his publicist told the outlet at the time that he did not know he owed money and he quickly paid the bill once it came to his attention. O’Brien blamed the issue on a clerical error that prevented the bill from reaching his accountant in Los Angeles. Now, like many homes in the Westerly area, the home is threatened again thanks to Henri. 

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Judge Judy

In 2018, Town and Country Magazine reported that Judge Judy Scheindlin and her husband made the move to Newport, RI where they purchased an incredibly spacious $9 million mansion that now finds itself right in the path of the storm in an area where the Weather Channel notes flooding is already becoming a problem. 

The spot, known as the "Bird House" is well known to locals as not only being some of the best home eye candy in the area, but it was previously owned by Campbell Soup heiress Dorrance "Dodo" Hamilton. Fortunately for Scheindlin, another claim to fame for the "Bird House" is the fact that it’s particularly safe from storms given that it sits at one of the highest points in Newport while still being just minutes away from the ocean.

James Woods

The Providence Journal reported that James Woods may perhaps have the most to lose if Henri devastates Rhode Island given that he has four homes in the state. At the time of the report, though, he was hoping to unload a property on Boone Lake in Exeter for $1.39 million.

The real-estate listing at the time caught the media’s attention because it seemingly announced his retirement from acting as he looked to consolidate his real-estate to focus on non-Hollywood endeavors.