HOUSTON, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. National Weather Service said Monday's rain has pushed Houston in south U.S. to a new annual rainfall record.
The Houston Public Media, a Service of the University of Houston, on Tuesday quoted the National Weather Service Meteorologist Molly Merrifield as saying that Monday's storm, together with the rainfall during and before Harvey in the Houston area, broke the previous record, set in 2001 at 71.19 inches (180.82 cm).
"With all the rain that we've had so far this year, including the mass amounts we've had during Harvey, yesterday's storm pushed 2017's rain total to 71.3 inches (181.10 cm), which is a new annual rainfall record," said Merrifield.
"It's only September. We have the rest of the year to go," Merrifield said.
Merrifield said Harvey dumped 50 to 60 inches (127 cm to 152.4 cm) of rain in some areas, causing annual rainfall totals to reach almost-record amounts. She said the Monday's rainfall has pushed it past the record level.
Harvey blew ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, displacing over one million and damaging some 200,000 houses in a path of destruction that stretches for more than 480 kilometers.
