The Largest Rain Storms in World History

Heavy rain storms can cause significant damage and lead to fatalities. Just in November, at least 21 people reportedly died in the Dominican Republic following heavy rain over the weekend of Nov. 18. That weekend, torrential rains in Brazil caused flooding and landslides that left at least six dead. Two weeks prior, in Tuscany, Storm Ciaran caused floods that ravaged central Italy, leaving six dead. (Also see: These 20 islands will disappear in your lifetime.)

To identify the heaviest rain storms ever recorded in the world, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center World Record Precipitation Measurements, published by the National Weather Service. Data was last updated by the NWS on Nov. 10, 2021. Some data are estimates. We ordered these rain storms by duration. That is, the record rainfall for cloudbursts lasting no more than a few minutes up to rainfalls lasting two years.

The heavy rainfalls were often recorded during the same precipitation event. For example, India holds the record for several durations, mostly recorded during two events — one in 1977 and one in 1860-1861. France, too, holds several records set during one main event in 2007. The sources of China’s rainfall records also stem from several storms, while the U.S. holds one of the most significant cloudburst records, set in 1956. (Here are 20 states with the biggest risk of flooding.)

In all, the 30 record rainfalls on the list have occurred in just nine countries, led by India and China, including Inner Mongolia. Five of the heaviest rainfalls have been recorded in the United States, dating from 1935, when Woodward Ranch, Texas, received 22 inches of rain in less than three hours.

Here are the heaviest rain storms ever recorded.

30. Unionville, Maryland, USA

Unionville Road (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Famartin

• Amount: 1.2 inches
• Duration: 1 minutes, July 4, 1956

29. Barot, Guadeloupe, West Indies

• Amount: 1.5 inches
• Duration: 1 minutes, Nov 26, 1970

28. Porto Bello, Panama

• Amount: 2.5 inches
• Duration: 5 minutes, Nov 29, 1911

27. Fussen, Bavaria, Germany

• Amount: 5 inches
• Duration: 8 minutes, May 25, 1920

26. Plumb Point, Jamaica

Plumb Point Lighthouse (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Chris Davis

• Amount: 7.8 inches
• Duration: 15 minutes, May 12, 1916

25. Curtea de Arges, Romania

• Amount: 8.1 inches
• Duration: 20 minutes, July 7, 1889

24. Sikeshugou, Hebei, China

• Amount: 11 inches
• Duration: 30 minutes, July 3, 1974

23. Kilauea Plantation, Kauai, Hawaii, USA

• Amount: 12 inches
• Duration: 60 minutes, Jan 24, 1956

22. Holt, Missouri, USA

• Amount: 12 inches
• Duration: 42 minutes, June 22, 1947

21. Smethport, Pennsylvania, USA

• Amount: 1 feet 3 inches
• Duration: 60 minutes, July 18, 1942

20. Shangdi, Inner Mongolia, China

G7 in Inner Mongolia1 (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Sparktour

• Amount: 1 feet 3.8 inches
• Duration: 60 minutes, July 3, 1975

19. Gaoj, Gansu, China

• Amount: 1 feet 5.3 inches
• Duration: 72 minutes, Aug 12, 1985

18. Yujiawanzi, Inner Mongolia, China

• Amount: 1 feet 7.3 inches
• Duration: 2 hours, July 19, 1975

17. Bainaobao, Hebei, China

• Amount: 1 feet 9.7 inches
• Duration: 2.5 hours, June 25, 1972

16. Woodward Ranch (D’Hanis 17 NNW), Texas, USA

• Amount: 1 feet 10 inches
• Duration: 2.75 hours, May 31, 1935

15. Duan Jia Zhuang, Hebei, China

u516cu56ed - panoramio (CC BY-SA 3.0) by u58a8u708e

• Amount: 1 feet 11.6 inches
• Duration: 3 hours, June 28, 1973

14. Linzhuang, Henan, China

u6cb3u5357 u4f0fu725bu5c71 u8fdcu5c71u7684u547cu5524 (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Nyx Ning

• Amount: 2 feet 8.7 inches
• Duration: 6 hours, Aug 7, 1975

13. Muduchaideng, Inner Mongolia, China

• Amount: 4 feet 7.1 inches
• Duration: 10 hours, Aug 1, 1977

12. Foc-Foc, Réunion, France

• Amount: 5 feet 11.9 inches
• Duration: 24 hours, Jan 7, 1966

11. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

• Amount: 8 feet 2 inches
• Duration: 48 hours, June 15, 1995

10. Commerson Crater, Réunion, France

• Amount: 18 feet 1 inches
• Duration: 8 days, Feb 24, 2007

9. Commerson Crater, Réunion, France

La Ru00e9union Plate Volcano Commerson (CC BY-SA 4.0) by BBCLCD

• Amount: 18 feet 8 inches
• Duration: 10 days, Jan 18, 1980

8. Commerson Crater, Réunion, France

La Ru00e9union view from volcano Commerson (CC BY-SA 4.0) by BBCLCD

• Amount: 20 feet 0 inches
• Duration: 15 days, Jan 14, 1980

7. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

• Amount: 30 feet 6 inches
• Duration: 1 month, July 1, 1861

6. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

Cherrapunji (CC BY-SA 3.0) by RMehra~commonswiki

• Amount: 41 feet 11 inches
• Duration: 2 months, June 1, 1861

5. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

Bangladesh view point by Kamalapathi (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Kamalapathirao

• Amount: 53 feet 8 inches
• Duration: 3 months, May 1, 1861

4. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

Nohkalikai falls (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Rishav999

• Amount: 73 feet 8 inches
• Duration: 6 months, Apr 1, 1861

3. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

• Amount: 75 feet 5 inches
• Duration: 11 months, Jan 1, 1861

2. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

NohKaLikai Falls V2 (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Vikramjit Kakati

• Amount: 86 feet 10 inches
• Duration: 12 months, Aug 1, 1860

1. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

Kynrem Falls (CC BY-SA 4.0) by MitaliBaruah

• Amount: 133 feet 9 inches
• Duration: 2-year, Jan 1, 1860