A Look at the Excessive Rainfall from Hurricane Willa in Mexico and Texas

news image
Special Stories
29 Oct 2018 8:33 AM
[A rainfall accumulation analysis was generated by totaling Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data for the period from October 20 to 26, 2018. Hurricane Willa’s approximate 0000Z and 1200Z locations are shown on this analysis. Willa produced rainfall totals greater than 20 inches (508 mm) in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico’s coast. IMERG data also indicated that rainfall accumulations of over 15 inches (381 mm) occurred in parts of Mexico and Southeastern Texas. Credit: NASA/JAXA, Hal Pierce] [NASA] Satellite data is used to calculate the amount of rainfall generated from tropical cyclones. The merging of multiple images and techniques showed excessive rainfall occurred from Hurricane Willa in Texas and Mexico. Tropical Depression 24E formed on October 20, 2018 and later in the day became tropical storm Willa. The tropical depression rapidly intensified and was a category five hurricane with winds of over 161 mph (140 knots) on October 22. Willa had weakened to category three intensity when it made landfall in Sinaloa, Mexico on October 24, 2018. Moisture streaming from Willa’s remnants added to the soaking of the already water logged state of Texas. Moisture from Willa’s remnants contributed to storms over the Southeast and to the developing Nor’easter moving over the East Coast. Hurricane Willa Makes Landfall in Western Mexico [Hurricane Willa landfall on October 24, 2018] At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland a rainfall accumulation analysis was generated by totaling Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data for the period from October 20 to 26, 2018.  The IMERG rainfall accumulation data indicated that Willa produced rainfall totals greater than 20 inches (508 mm) in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico’s coast. IMERG data also indicated that rainfall accumulations of over 15 inches (381 mm) occurred in parts of Mexico and Southeastern Texas. IMERG data are generated every half hour by NASA’s Precipitation Processing System by merging data from the satellites in the GPM Constellation, and calibrating those data with measurements from the GPM Core Observatory as well as rain gauge networks around the world. IMERG data are provided for much of the globe. Full coverage is calculated over latitudes from 60 degrees north to 60 degrees south with the remaining areas of the globe being partially covered. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgyUKnvVjB0 [A rainfall accumulation analysis was generated by totaling Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data for the period from October 20 to 26, 2018. Hurricane Willa’s approximate 0000Z and 1200Z locations are shown on this analysis. Willa produced rainfall totals greater than 20 inches (508 mm) in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico’s coast. IMERG data also indicated that rainfall accumulations of over 15 inches (381 mm) occurred in parts of Mexico and Southeastern Texas. Credit: NASA/JAXA, Hal Pierce] The Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) creates a merged precipitation product from the GPM constellation of satellites. These satellites include DMSPs from the U.S. Department of Defense, GCOM-W from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Megha-Tropiques from the Centre National D’etudies Spatiales (CNES) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), NOAA series from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Suomi-NPP from NOAA-NASA, and MetOps from the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).  All of the instruments (radiometers) onboard the constellation partners are intercalibrated with information from the GPM Core Observatory’s GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR). Edited for WeatherNation by Meteorologist Mace Michaels
All Weather News
More
Eastern Pacific - Watching Barbara and Cosme

Eastern Pacific - Watching Barbara and Cosme

Eastern Pacific OceanBarbara became a hurrica

10 Jun 2025 3:15 AM
Record-Breaking Heat For the Northwest

Record-Breaking Heat For the Northwest

A dominant ridge of high pressure continues t

10 Jun 2025 3:10 AM
Cold Front Prompts Severe Potential in Northeast

Cold Front Prompts Severe Potential in Northeast

A large upper-level low is bringing severe we

10 Jun 2025 3:10 AM
Texas Can't Seem to Shake the Severe Threat

Texas Can't Seem to Shake the Severe Threat

TEXAS - The state of Texas is in for a rinse

10 Jun 2025 3:00 AM
Severe Storms Overnight in South

Severe Storms Overnight in South

We saw an active day across the southeast wit

10 Jun 2025 2:45 AM
More Wildfire Smoke Spills South

More Wildfire Smoke Spills South

CANADA - Massive wildfires continue to burn i

9 Jun 2025 1:20 PM
Severe Weather Outbreak In Southern Plains

Severe Weather Outbreak In Southern Plains

TIMINGStorms will move through overnight, imp

9 Jun 2025 3:20 AM