NASA estimates that Oahu avoided the worst rain from Darby
NASA/JAXA/SSAI/HAL PIERCE
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center created this image from satellite data and estimated that the greatest rainfall from Tropical Storm Darby fell in the ocean north of Oahu.
Tropical Storm Darby dropped nearly a foot of rain on Oahu, flooding roads and apartments, causing sewage spills and some power outages. But a new NASA satellite estimate shows the island actually missed the heaviest rain from the storm.
NASA released an image and a YouTube video from the Global Precipitation Measurement mission that calculated the greatest rainfall totals from Darby fell in the ocean just north of Oahu.
NASA’s Intergrated Multi-SatellitE Retrievals for GPM, or IMERG mission, estimated that 18.9 inches of rain fell north of Oahu.
The IMERG project, a joint effort of NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, used data from several satellites at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland to estimate Darby’s rainfall from July 19 to July 26.
The actual rainfall totals recorded at Oahu gauges showed that about 11.9 inches of rain fell in Moanlua Saturday and Sunday. About 11.7 inches was recorded in upper Nuuanu and the Waihee Pump and Luluku gauges saw 11 inches of rain.
The gauges show the amount of rain on Oahu varied depending on the terrain, wind and other factors. Less than an inch of rain in Waianae. About 1.7 inches was recorded at the Honolulu Airport and 4.4 inches fell in Palolo.
2 responses to “NASA estimates that Oahu avoided the worst rain from Darby”
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There’s still a lot of dried up mud at Middle St. – looks like ground zero for this storm.
East Honolulu had little rain.