04-29-2018, 03:17 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Mangosteen
Amazing amount of rain, but no where near the world record for a 24 hour period.
Reunion Island received 71.2 inches of rain over 24 hours during a hurricane in 1966, but the islands worst experience was in January, 1980 when an astounding 223.5 inches fell during a 10 day period as another hurricane meandered around the area and wouldn't leave.
Imagine what Hilo would look like after 223.5 inches of rain over such a short period of time!
I didn't believe it, had to look this up. And, it's true!
"According to NOAA's Hurricane Research Division, Réunion holds every world tropical cyclone rainfall record, from a 12-hour rain record of 45 inches in Tropical Cyclone Denise in 1966 to a truly phenomenal total 14 years later.
In mid-late January 1980, Tropical Cyclone Hyacinthe stalled near the island for about two weeks and dumped up to 239.49 inches, or almost 20 feet, of rain in 15 days."
But they don't hold the record for 48 hours. That was 98 inches in Cherrapunji, India- one of the consistently wettest places on earth with over 400 inches annually. Incredibly, they actually have a dry season given that much rainfall.
In Hilo, we're happy with the occasional dry spells. I don't want three months of dry.