(Dennis Fujimoto/Garden Island/AP)An incredible amount of rain fell in Hawaii last week, and it was just over the course of one day. Preliminary data shows that from April 14 to 15, 49.69 inches of rain accumulated at a rain gauge in Waipa on the island of Kauai. The setup tapped into enhanced moisture in the lower levels of the atmosphere and created “intense anchored thunderstorms over the mountains of interior Kauai,” according to Robert Ballard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hawaii. The current world record for 24-hour rainfall came from Tropical Storm Denise in the Indian Ocean and lashed the island of La Reunion with an almost unbelievable 71.85 inches in 1966. Numerous homes across the island were destroyed or damaged, and Hawaii lawmakers have set aside $100 million for cleanup costs.

Source: Washington Post April 27, 2018 14:58 UTC