Yisroel R.

If this summer felt unusually wet across New York City, the numbers back it up. The city just finished its rainiest summer in five years, with repeated downpours, flooded streets, and storm warnings becoming an almost routine part of the season this year. 

Central Park recorded 16.92 inches of rain from June through August, about 3.5 inches above normal. August alone accounted for more than half of that total, with 8.64 inches falling during the month, making it the wettest stretch of an already soggy summer. 

Rain showed up often enough that roughly 40% of all summer days were wet, while heavy storms repeatedly overwhelmed parts of the city. Flooding of more than a foot was reported nine times across the five boroughs, and rainfall totals topping four inches were recorded dozens of times. 

Queens took some of the hardest hits, recording 13 Flash Flood Warnings, 12 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, and even a Tornado Warning during the summer. Some neighborhoods dealt with repeated flooding, leaving residents repairing damage more than once in just a few months. 

The wet weather did not mean the summer was cool. New York still endured a heat wave and even recorded its first 100-degree day in 14 years, giving residents a season that managed to deliver both extreme heat and unusually heavy rain.