Record Rains in NYC for 2nd Consecutive Day

[donsutherland1]

Yesterday saw NYC's Central Park set a new daily rainfall record for the second consecutive day:

10/12: 4.26" (old record: 3.40", 1983)
10/13: 2.75" (old record: 1.96", 1927)
2-Day Total: 7.01"

Consecutive daily rainfall records exist in 7 prior years since 1869:

∙ September 22-23, 1882 (TS 4)
∙ June 22-23, 1887
∙ April 26-27, 1889
∙ October 8-9, 1903 (Slow absorption of well-offshore TS 8 and low that came eastward from the Great Lakes*)
∙ May 27-28, 1906
∙ September 13-14, 1944 ("Great Atlantic Hurricane")
∙ August 12-13, 1955 (Connie)

Total rainfall for these two-day periods:

1882: 10.62"
1887: 3.71"
1889: 3.42"
1903: 11.63"
1906: 3.78"
1944: 7.76"
1955: 6.32"

A total of 11.80" fell in the October 8-10, 1903 period. The overall flooding nearly washed out the first-ever World Series.

Historical photos from the 1903 flood at Uhlertown, Pennsylvania-Frenchtown, New Jersey Bridge can be found at: http://www.pennridge.org/works/ufrhistory.html and a photo from Patterson, New Jersey can be found at: http://www.patersonhistory.com/pictures/pictures/floodmonument.jpg

No year is responsible for daily rainfall records on 3 consecutive days. The existing October 14 record is 1.76" set in 1995. Through Noon today, 0.99" has fallen. There is a chance that today's rainfall could eclipse the mark set in 1995, but that is not assured.

In addition, NYC's 3-day rainfall through Noon today has totaled 8.00 inches. That brings October's rainfall to 12.70 inches, which ranks 3rd highest for October since regular recordkeeping began in 1869:

1. 13.31" 1903
2. 12.97" 1913
3. 12.62" 2005 (through 10/14 Noon)

* From the October 10, 1903 issue of The New York Times: A rainstorm which came from the lake region on Thursday morning [October 8] at 9:20 met another one which has been traveling up from the southern coast. The result of this aerial collision was a downpour which lasted until 3:50 o'clock yesterday afternoon [October 9], and the Weather Bureau contains no record of heavier rainfall.

From the October 11, 1903 issue of The New York Times concerning Philadelphia and Trenton: Late this afternoon [October 10] the Delaware River rose above the docks and piers, and flooded Delaware Avenue, which runs along the river front, for a distance of ten blocks. The ferry boats were unable to enter their slips, and all vessels tied at the piers rode on a level with the street. Thousands of dollars' worth of perishable freight was destroyed or damaged. The wharf of the Philadelphia and Trenton Steamboat Company was partly wrecked by the wind and water... At Manayunk the Schuylkill River is 14 feet above normal, which is two feet lower than the highest point ever registered.

The area of heavy rain moved slowly northward. The October 11, 1903 issue of [i]The New York Times published the following report from October 10 in Utica: Rain has fallen continuously for sixty hours in this vicinity, the greatest rainfall in fifty years. The lower business sections of the city have been under water all day, and much damage has resulted.

[Tri-State_1925]

Don, where do you get your record weather information? I haven't found any good sources online. Just curious...

[Stephanie]

From the October 11, 1903 issue of The New York Times concerning Philadelphia and Trenton: Late this afternoon [October 10] the Delaware River rose above the docks and piers, and flooded Delaware Avenue, which runs along the river front, for a distance of ten blocks. The ferry boats were unable to enter their slips, and all vessels tied at the piers rode on a level with the street. Thousands of dollars' worth of perishable freight was destroyed or damaged. The wharf of the Philadelphia and Trenton Steamboat Company was partly wrecked by the wind and water... At Manayunk the Schuylkill River is 14 feet above normal, which is two feet lower than the highest point ever registered.

We'd be in deep do-do if that were to happen now! I can't even begin to imagine!

I saw on TWC this morning that Long Island was being innudated with heavy rain.

[terstorm1012]

Is this 1903 storm associated with the 1903 storm that hit New Jersey, or a seperate storm?

[donsutherland1]

Tri-State_1925,

NWS-Upton has a terrific past weather page. Boston does, too.

[donsutherland1]

Terstorm1012,

A month earlier, a Cat. 1 hurricane made NJ landfall.

[terstorm1012]

thanks don.

[Stephanie]

Terstorm1012,

A month earlier, a Cat. 1 hurricane made NJ landfall.

Sounds like we're over 100 years past due!

[donsutherland1]

Stephanie,

Landfalling hurricanes along the NJ coast are quite rare. In 1821, another such storm made landfall in southern NJ. Perhaps in a future S2K newsletter, I'll write something on that storm.

With regard to the East Coast from north of NC to New England, it would not suprise me if sometime within the next 15 years or less, a major hurricane makes landfall (Cat. 3) based on the climatology of such storms. RI is overdue. Long Island is increasingly due.

Hopefully, on this matter, I'll be wrong.

[donsutherland1]

October 2005 Now 2nd Wettest October in NYC:

As of 4 pm, NYC has received 8.42" rain over the past 3 days. That brings its monthly total to 13.12". That ranks 2nd place, just behind October 1903, which saw 13.31" rainfall.

In terms of its daily rainfall, NYC has received 1.41" so far today. Should 0.36" or more fall before the day is finished, NYC would establish record daily rainfall for an unprecedented third consecutive day.

[donsutherland1]

Central Park sets October rainfall mark

At 5:30 pm, the 3-day storm total had increased to 8.64" of rain. That brings October's rainfall to 13.34". The old record was 13.31" set in 1903. At 6 pm, the monthly rainfall had increased to 13.39".

October 2005 is now the 3rd rainiest month on record for NYC. The 10 wettest months on record are:

1. 16.85" September 1882
2. 14.01" April 1983
3. 13.39" October 2005 (through 10/14 6 pm)
4. 13.31" October 1903
5. 12.97" October 1913
6. 12.41" November 1972
7. 12.36" August 1990
8. 12.26" November 1977
9. 11.96" September 1934
10. 11.89" July 1889

[donsutherland1]

Central Park Sets Daily Rainfall Record for Unprecedented 3rd Consecutive Day

An almost incessant rainfall that swamped the monthly record for rainfall in New York City has now resulted in Central Park setting a daily rainfall record for an unprecedented 3rd consecutive day. Since regular recordkeeping began in 1869, no other event holds such a distinction.

Daily Records:

10/12: 4.26" (old record: 3.40", 1983)
10/13: 2.75" (old record: 1.96", 1927)
10/14: 1.78" (old record: 1.76", 1995)--through 10/14 7 pm

[Stephanie]

Stephanie,

Landfalling hurricanes along the NJ coast are quite rare. In 1821, another such storm made landfall in southern NJ. Perhaps in a future S2K newsletter, I'll write something on that storm.

With regard to the East Coast from north of NC to New England, it would not suprise me if sometime within the next 15 years or less, a major hurricane makes landfall (Cat. 3) based on the climatology of such storms. RI is overdue. Long Island is increasingly due.

Hopefully, on this matter, I'll be wrong.

NJ is quite sheltered along the coastline, given that it sits further in than the Carolinas or Long Island and New England. Plus it is rare for the current to allow it to run right into NJ's coastline, though we had a close call with Isabel a few years ago.

It seems that some of the "overdue" places are now being hit (NO, Beaumont, Sanibel & Port Charlotte, Ft. Lauderdale, etc.). The trend doesn't seem like our friend, especially when we seem to be in a new 30 year active cycle for hurricanes.

I'll look forward to the day when you do write about that storm!

[Stephanie]

Jim Cantore just said that Philadelphia broke it's old record from 1902 of 6.03" of rain (or close to it). We are now at 6.89" of rain. Pretty much everywhere from PA, NJ through New England have broken records as old as these or are pretty darn close to it.

[donsutherland1]

Corrections

The hourly worksheets (http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/obhistory/KNYC.html) might not have provided the exact rainfall. The NWS data at the end of the day should clarify this matter.

However, the NWS has released the following statement that ranks October 2005 second:

THIS IS THE SECOND WETTEST OCTOBER FOR CENTRAL PARK WITH A RAINFALL TOTAL OF 13.25 INCHES. THE WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD FOR CENTRAL PARK WAS SET IN 1903 WITH A RAINFALL TOTAL OF 13.31 INCHES. REGARDING WETTEST MONTHS OF ALL TIME AT CENTRAL PARK...THIS YEAR RANKS 4TH ALL TIME WITH OCTOBER OF 1903 RANKING THIRD WITH 13.31 INCHES OF RAIN...APRIL OF 1983 RANKING SECOND WITH 14.01 INCHES OF RAIN...AND SEPTEMBER OF 1882 RANKING FIRST WITH 16.85 INCHES OF RAIN.

I regret any errors from earlier today from my reliance on the hourly worksheet.

[weathermom]

Don, I am somewhat puzzled how NYC didn't have some kind of record rainfall during hurricane Floyd. We had approx. 12" here in Northern NJ with Floyd in 24 hours. Was I just too busy with the river to notice that it was that localized?

Floyd also came at the end of a very dry summer, just like this record rainfall ( and flooding). Is this in any way a pattern? Or just a coincidence?