Rain Gauge In Hawaii Records 49.69 Inches In 24 Hours
By Chris Spears
DENVER (CBS4) - An extreme rain event on April 14-15 dropped feet of rain on Hawaii's Kauai Island and unleashed a devastating flash flood.
A remote rain gauge on Kauai's north side measured 49.69 inches of rain during a 24-hour period ending at 12:45 p.m. local time on April 15.
The report could have set a new 24-hour record for the United States.
A National Climatic Extremes Committee will soon convene to review the data and the rain gauge site specifics to determine validity. If the rainfall is verified it will become a new national record.
The current U.S. record for 24-hour rainfall is 43 inches at Alvin, Texas on July 25-26, 1979.
The rain gauge that recorded the astonishing amount of rain is operated by the Waipa Foundation located in Waipa, which is about one mile west of Hanalei.
Meteorologist Chris Spears travels weekly in the CBS4 Mobile Weather Lab reporting about Colorado's weather and climate. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.