Sisters Kimberly and Kelly have been found, 31 years after they were abducted.

A Rhode Island father may soon be reunited with his two daughters 31 years after they were taken as children by their mother.

Elaine Yates, who fled with her two daughters in 1985, was only recently tracked down by authorities and is now facing charges, The Providence Journal reports.

Warwick man, Russell Yates, said he was “stunned” to learn his daughters had been located when police told him on Monday.

“I always hoped this day would happen and now I hope they will want to get in touch with me,” Mr Yates told the newspaper.

Mr Yates reported his daughters Kimberly and Kelly – then aged three and 10 months, missing in August 1985 after his estranged wife left with them. In November that year he obtained a court order giving him custody of the children.

Mr Yates later said his wife threatened to move out after she confronted him about an affair and he slapped her, US broadcaster WPTA21 reports.

Despite police efforts to find Mrs Yates, the 69-year-old managed to stay hidden with her daughters for more than three decades.

Police tracked her to a house in Houston, Texas, where she had been living as Liana Waldberg, after an anonymous tip two days before Christmas.

State Police Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Philbin said the two girls were living with their own families in Texas under different names that he did not disclose.

Lt Col Philbin told The Providence Journal the daughters had been given their father's phone number, but did not say whether they were told their true identity.

Mr Yates said he had been searching for his daughters for "30 years" and hoped they reached out to him.

"I guess hopefully they'll want to get in touch with me. They're adults now it's up to them," he said.

Elaine Yates was arrested at her home on Monday and will soon face charges of kidnapping, police say.

Feature Image: An interpretation of what Kimberly and Kelly would look like as adults. Source: US National Centre for Missing Children.