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Heavy rains fell over the central US from Kansas to the western Gulf coastover the Labor Day weekend resulting in deadly flooding. A stationaryfront lying across the central plains provided the focus for abundantrainfall and thunderstorms as Gulf moisture flowed in from the south. Duringthis same period, Tropical Storm Grace came ashore as a minimal tropicalstorm on the central Texas gulf coast bringing heavy rains to the Houstonarea. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis(MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center was able to capture theseevents. It shows that the heaviest rainfall totals (darker reds) occurredover eastern Kansas, western Missouri and the northeast corner of Oklahomawith a broad area of 6 to 8 inch amounts. Locally, values exceed 9 inches.Flash floods were reported near Emporia, Kansas where several people wereswept away in their vehicles along Interstate 35. Grace dumped upwardsof 6 inches of rain in and around the Houston area with locally heavieramounts. The crosses and and storm/depresson symbols mark Grace's path.
TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, NASDA.
References & Resources
Image and animations produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
