Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021

Name: Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021
Start: 2021-10-05
End: 2021-10-18
Location: United States

Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021: 986 records at 807 stations, peak on 8 October 2021. Closed.

Data as of 2026-10-17. Last revised 17 October 2026 (2026-10-17).

Key Facts

Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021 set or tied 986 station records at 807 stations.
It ran from 5 October 2021 to 18 October 2021 (14 days) and its peak day was 8 October 2021.
Status: closed.
Ekalaka set a daily record precipitation of 44.5 mm (1.8 in) on 13 October 2021.
The busiest day was 8 October 2021 with 186 records.
The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 131 years.

Footprint

5 to 18 October 2021

The area covered by Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021 is outlined, with 20 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type. Made with Natural Earth.

Footprint of Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021: stations that set records in the event
Station	Type	Value	Date
Mc Henry 3W	Record daily precipitation	55.9 mm (2.2 in)	2021-10-09
Ekalaka	Record daily precipitation	44.5 mm (1.8 in)	2021-10-13
Dupree	Record daily precipitation	43.2 mm (1.7 in)	2021-10-13
Mc Clusky	Record daily precipitation	46.5 mm (1.8 in)	2021-10-13
Belle Fourche	Record daily precipitation	43.2 mm (1.7 in)	2021-10-13
Artichoke Lake 1 E	Record daily precipitation	96.3 mm (3.8 in)	2021-10-10
Timber Lake	Record daily precipitation	48.0 mm (1.9 in)	2021-10-13
Reeder	Record daily precipitation	58.2 mm (2.3 in)	2021-10-13
Minot Intl AP	Record daily precipitation	40.6 mm (1.6 in)	2021-10-13
Lakeview	Record daily precipitation	45.2 mm (1.8 in)	2021-10-12
New England	Record daily precipitation	41.9 mm (1.6 in)	2021-10-13
Vincennes 4 E	Record daily precipitation	85.6 mm (3.4 in)	2021-10-15
Grace	Record daily precipitation	32.5 mm (1.3 in)	2021-10-08
New Salem 5NW	Record daily precipitation	30.0 mm (1.2 in)	2021-10-14
Savage	Record daily precipitation	38.9 mm (1.5 in)	2021-10-13
Sheridan Fld STN	Record daily precipitation	32.0 mm (1.3 in)	2021-10-13
Bismarck	Record daily precipitation	37.3 mm (1.5 in)	2021-10-13
Lifton Pumping STN	Record daily precipitation	30.5 mm (1.2 in)	2021-10-09
Lecompton	Record daily precipitation	126.0 mm (5.0 in)	2021-10-11
Pretty Rock	Record daily precipitation	58.4 mm (2.3 in)	2021-10-13

Records per Day

Peak day 186

Records set or tied each day from 5 October 2021 to 18 October 2021. The most in one day was 186 on 8 October 2021.

Records per day during Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021
Date	Records
2021-10-05	1
2021-10-06	9
2021-10-07	29
2021-10-08	186
2021-10-09	102
2021-10-10	36
2021-10-11	110
2021-10-12	166
2021-10-13	164
2021-10-14	70
2021-10-15	63
2021-10-16	35
2021-10-17	13
2021-10-18	2

Top Records by Margin

Margin over the record replaced

Top records of Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021 ranked by margin
Lecompton, 10-11	64.5 mm (2.5 in)
Vincennes 4 E, 10-15	59.4 mm (2.3 in)
Pretty Rock, 10-13	52.6 mm (2.1 in)
Reeder, 10-13	44.2 mm (1.7 in)
Mc Clusky, 10-13	40.4 mm (1.6 in)
Timber Lake, 10-13	40.4 mm (1.6 in)
Dupree, 10-13	38.4 mm (1.5 in)
Mc Henry 3W, 10-09	36.8 mm (1.4 in)
Belle Fourche, 10-13	34.8 mm (1.4 in)
Artichoke Lake 1 E, 10-10	32.8 mm (1.3 in)
Ekalaka, 10-13	31.8 mm (1.3 in)
Bismarck, 10-13	31.5 mm (1.2 in)
Savage, 10-13	31.3 mm (1.2 in)
Lakeview, 10-12	28.7 mm (1.1 in)
Minot Intl AP, 10-13	27.6 mm (1.1 in)

Margin is how far the new value is beyond the record it replaced. Ties are not shown.

Margin Against Age of the Broken Record

500 records plotted by how far they beat the old record (across) and how many years the old record had stood (up). Long standing records beaten by a wide margin sit in the top right.

Margin against age of the broken record in Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021
Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
32	116
37	108
38	90
40	80
35	70
33	49
40	64
44	70
28	70
59	55
29	55
27	70
21	48
22	80
31	46
19	79
32	55
13	91
65	48
53	51
40	51
62	48
19	102
26	46
29	55
26	60
23	51
36	46
28	51
14	100
19	104
24	112
16	79
37	28
27	51
28	64
19	56
25	36
23	24
22	46
24	72
36	36
29	48
11	78
11	110
40	22
32	40
43	28
40	55
24	27
16	79
9	98
17	80
22	67
21	52
18	60
24	80
36	48
11	72
26	55
23	46
58	7
11	107
22	51
15	92
15	44
25	28
33	28
36	28
28	28
45	20
19	72
9	62
25	60
23	20
7	58
41	20
35	36
10	80
27	27
18	49
32	7
15	78
24	28
23	20
20	46
57	15
10	79
31	55
23	55
22	55
28	12
31	38
4	107
13	70
19	46
20	48
7	116
53	2
5	96
8	92
31	11
25	28
33	11
31	28
28	28
14	96
10	116
4	106
25	24
3	108
25	39
22	20
15	63
50	7
17	55
15	36
15	36
17	55
12	48
7	98
12	72
9	80
13	67
12	60
13	28
18	11
15	28
43	20
18	36
64	7
9	102
7	127
8	98
15	46
19	46
14	46
16	46
22	36
19	48
25	28
4	98
46	16
23	48
34	55
36	40
27	47
33	48
6	119
9	90
7	79
20	51
20	53
16	67
25	8
11	55
15	28
23	15
2	110
3	131
24	38
3	116
45	16
26	48
25	26
15	48
13	23
31	15
14	72
6	63
19	55
13	40
18	40
23	28
2	92
19	26
16	55
22	26
21	39
3	116
17	60
17	12
12	28
18	27
31	16
1	100
1	98
7	60
6	90
25	39
1	112
9	39
8	72
10	67
13	8
22	7
1	116
12	36
2	92
1	96

Compared With Other Events

Station records per event

Station records in Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021 compared with similar events
Extreme rain in United States and Mexico, 23 February to 15 March 2019	2,223 records
Extreme rain in United States, 3 to 19 January 2024	2,133 records
Extreme rain in Australia, 7 to 26 March 2021	2,099 records
Extreme rain in United States and Mexico, 29 September to 19 October 2018	1,970 records
Extreme rain in United States, 19 December 2022 to 13 January 2023	1,941 records
Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021 (this event)	986 records

Every Record Set

20 of 986

Every record set or tied during Extreme rain in United States, 5 to 18 October 2021, in date order
Date	Station	Record	Value	Margin	Years stood	Significance
2021-10-08	Grace	Record daily precipitation	32.5 mm (1.3 in)	20.8 mm (0.8 in)	48	64 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-09	Mc Henry 3W	Record daily precipitation	55.9 mm (2.2 in)	36.8 mm (1.4 in)	108	80 of 100 (Exceptional)
2021-10-09	Lifton Pumping STN	Record daily precipitation	30.5 mm (1.2 in)	12.5 mm (0.5 in)	91	62 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-10	Artichoke Lake 1 E	Record daily precipitation	96.3 mm (3.8 in)	32.8 mm (1.3 in)	49	69 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-11	Lecompton	Record daily precipitation	126.0 mm (5.0 in)	64.5 mm (2.5 in)	48	62 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-12	Lakeview	Record daily precipitation	45.2 mm (1.8 in)	28.7 mm (1.1 in)	55	66 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	Ekalaka	Record daily precipitation	44.5 mm (1.8 in)	31.8 mm (1.3 in)	116	80 of 100 (Exceptional)
2021-10-13	Dupree	Record daily precipitation	43.2 mm (1.7 in)	38.4 mm (1.5 in)	90	77 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	Mc Clusky	Record daily precipitation	46.5 mm (1.8 in)	40.4 mm (1.6 in)	80	74 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	Belle Fourche	Record daily precipitation	43.2 mm (1.7 in)	34.8 mm (1.4 in)	70	70 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	Timber Lake	Record daily precipitation	48.0 mm (1.9 in)	40.4 mm (1.6 in)	64	69 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	Reeder	Record daily precipitation	58.2 mm (2.3 in)	44.2 mm (1.7 in)	70	68 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	Minot Intl AP	Record daily precipitation	40.6 mm (1.6 in)	27.6 mm (1.1 in)	70	67 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	New England	Record daily precipitation	41.9 mm (1.6 in)	26.9 mm (1.1 in)	70	66 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	Savage	Record daily precipitation	38.9 mm (1.5 in)	31.3 mm (1.2 in)	46	63 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	Sheridan Fld STN	Record daily precipitation	32.0 mm (1.3 in)	18.8 mm (0.7 in)	79	63 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	Bismarck	Record daily precipitation	37.3 mm (1.5 in)	31.5 mm (1.2 in)	55	63 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-13	Pretty Rock	Record daily precipitation	58.4 mm (2.3 in)	52.6 mm (2.1 in)	51	62 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-14	New Salem 5NW	Record daily precipitation	30.0 mm (1.2 in)	22.1 mm (0.9 in)	80	64 of 100 (Major)
2021-10-15	Vincennes 4 E	Record daily precipitation	85.6 mm (3.4 in)	59.4 mm (2.3 in)	55	66 of 100 (Major)

The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 986 records the event counts. The counts above use the full total.

Related Headlines

Third party news, headline and link only

Download the Data

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (GHCN-Daily). Records are computed by World Extreme Weather Monitor and are not official NOAA products. (US Government open data (NOAA NCEI)) Data as of 2026-10-17. Events are found by this site from station records and are not official designations. Records are provisional until reprocessed.

Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
32	116
37	108
38	90
40	80
35	70
33	49
40	64
44	70
28	70
59	55
29	55
27	70
21	48
22	80
31	46
19	79
32	55
13	91
65	48
53	51
40	51
62	48
19	102
26	46
29	55
26	60
23	51
36	46
28	51
14	100
19	104
24	112
16	79
37	28
27	51
28	64
19	56
25	36
23	24
22	46
24	72
36	36
29	48
11	78
11	110
40	22
32	40
43	28
40	55
24	27
16	79
9	98
17	80
22	67
21	52
18	60
24	80
36	48
11	72
26	55
23	46
58	7
11	107
22	51
15	92
15	44
25	28
33	28
36	28
28	28
45	20
19	72
9	62
25	60
23	20
7	58
41	20
35	36
10	80
27	27
18	49
32	7
15	78
24	28
23	20
20	46
57	15
10	79
31	55
23	55
22	55
28	12
31	38
4	107
13	70
19	46
20	48
7	116
53	2
5	96
8	92
31	11
25	28
33	11
31	28
28	28
14	96
10	116
4	106
25	24
3	108
25	39
22	20
15	63
50	7
17	55
15	36
15	36
17	55
12	48
7	98
12	72
9	80
13	67
12	60
13	28
18	11
15	28
43	20
18	36
64	7
9	102
7	127
8	98
15	46
19	46
14	46
16	46
22	36
19	48
25	28
4	98
46	16
23	48
34	55
36	40
27	47
33	48
6	119
9	90
7	79
20	51
20	53
16	67
25	8
11	55
15	28
23	15
2	110
3	131
24	38
3	116
45	16
26	48
25	26
15	48
13	23
31	15
14	72
6	63
19	55
13	40
18	40
23	28
2	92
19	26
16	55
22	26
21	39
3	116
17	60
17	12
12	28
18	27
31	16
1	100
1	98
7	60
6	90
25	39
1	112
9	39
8	72
10	67
13	8
22	7
1	116
12	36
2	92
1	96

Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
32	116
37	108
38	90
40	80
35	70
33	49
40	64
44	70
28	70
59	55
29	55
27	70
21	48
22	80
31	46
19	79
32	55
13	91
65	48
53	51
40	51
62	48
19	102
26	46
29	55
26	60
23	51
36	46
28	51
14	100
19	104
24	112
16	79
37	28
27	51
28	64
19	56
25	36
23	24
22	46
24	72
36	36
29	48
11	78
11	110
40	22
32	40
43	28
40	55
24	27
16	79
9	98
17	80
22	67
21	52
18	60
24	80
36	48
11	72
26	55
23	46
58	7
11	107
22	51
15	92
15	44
25	28
33	28
36	28
28	28
45	20
19	72
9	62
25	60
23	20
7	58
41	20
35	36
10	80
27	27
18	49
32	7
15	78
24	28
23	20
20	46
57	15
10	79
31	55
23	55
22	55
28	12
31	38
4	107
13	70
19	46
20	48
7	116
53	2
5	96
8	92
31	11
25	28
33	11
31	28
28	28
14	96
10	116
4	106
25	24
3	108
25	39
22	20
15	63
50	7
17	55
15	36
15	36
17	55
12	48
7	98
12	72
9	80
13	67
12	60
13	28
18	11
15	28
43	20
18	36
64	7
9	102
7	127
8	98
15	46
19	46
14	46
16	46
22	36
19	48
25	28
4	98
46	16
23	48
34	55
36	40
27	47
33	48
6	119
9	90
7	79
20	51
20	53
16	67
25	8
11	55
15	28
23	15
2	110
3	131
24	38
3	116
45	16
26	48
25	26
15	48
13	23
31	15
14	72
6	63
19	55
13	40
18	40
23	28
2	92
19	26
16	55
22	26
21	39
3	116
17	60
17	12
12	28
18	27
31	16
1	100
1	98
7	60
6	90
25	39
1	112
9	39
8	72
10	67
13	8
22	7
1	116
12	36
2	92
1	96

Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
32	116
37	108
38	90
40	80
35	70
33	49
40	64
44	70
28	70
59	55
29	55
27	70
21	48
22	80
31	46
19	79
32	55
13	91
65	48
53	51
40	51
62	48
19	102
26	46
29	55
26	60
23	51
36	46
28	51
14	100
19	104
24	112
16	79
37	28
27	51
28	64
19	56
25	36
23	24
22	46
24	72
36	36
29	48
11	78
11	110
40	22
32	40
43	28
40	55
24	27
16	79
9	98
17	80
22	67
21	52
18	60
24	80
36	48
11	72
26	55
23	46
58	7
11	107
22	51
15	92
15	44
25	28
33	28
36	28
28	28
45	20
19	72
9	62
25	60
23	20
7	58
41	20
35	36
10	80
27	27
18	49
32	7
15	78
24	28
23	20
20	46
57	15
10	79
31	55
23	55
22	55
28	12
31	38
4	107
13	70
19	46
20	48
7	116
53	2
5	96
8	92
31	11
25	28
33	11
31	28
28	28
14	96
10	116
4	106
25	24
3	108
25	39
22	20
15	63
50	7
17	55
15	36
15	36
17	55
12	48
7	98
12	72
9	80
13	67
12	60
13	28
18	11
15	28
43	20
18	36
64	7
9	102
7	127
8	98
15	46
19	46
14	46
16	46
22	36
19	48
25	28
4	98
46	16
23	48
34	55
36	40
27	47
33	48
6	119
9	90
7	79
20	51
20	53
16	67
25	8
11	55
15	28
23	15
2	110
3	131
24	38
3	116
45	16
26	48
25	26
15	48
13	23
31	15
14	72
6	63
19	55
13	40
18	40
23	28
2	92
19	26
16	55
22	26
21	39
3	116
17	60
17	12
12	28
18	27
31	16
1	100
1	98
7	60
6	90
25	39
1	112
9	39
8	72
10	67
13	8
22	7
1	116
12	36
2	92
1	96