Flooding update

MIDWEST U.S.

Still no answer to the question of when the bouts of heavy rain in this region will end. We're back in a pattern which will bring occasional rounds of wet thunderstorms during the next few days which could lead to localized flash flooding, and there's an all-too-familiar sight on the satellite and radar images early this Friday morning. There had been a break for awhile, which is a good thing because it allowed most of the rivers to recede.

[Radar image source: GRLevelX]

MEXICO

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a persistent flow of deep tropical moisture into southernmost Texas and northeast Mexico. The most extreme amounts fell south of the border, and it would have been surprising if serious flooding did not occur there, yet I was unable to find any info about it and thus was hopeful that a disaster did not occur. It turns out that, alas, one did, even though it has received scant media attention in the U.S.

I first saw an article online about it in a publication from Thailand. I emailed Jeral Estupinan, who used to be a colleague at TWC and now is the SOO (Science and Operations Officer) at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Brownsville, Texas. He confirmed that indeed it has been very bad for many communities in the state of Tamaulipas, and sent me a link to a video of the flooding. Our thoughts are with the folks recovering there.

Rainfall for seven days ending July 10, 2008 in millimeters; 300 mm = approximately 1 foot

ADDENDUM FRIDAY 4PM EDT

Speaking of heavy rainfall and flooding, there are reports that up to 44" fell in 24 hours in southern Tawain from Tropical Storm Kalmaegi.

As incredible an amount of rainfall as that is, it's not the world record for 24 hours, which is 72" on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, in 1966.

The U.S. 24-hour rainfall record occurred in Alvin, Texas in July 1979, associated with Tropical Storm Claudette. Different sources give different values, but the one which is generally most accepted (per this NWS statement issued after Allison in 2001) is 43".