Images and caption by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC)

Over the past week extreme rainfall caused flooding that resulted in the deaths of four in Haiti and the evacuation of over 2500 people in the Dominican Republic. The GPM core observatory satellite saw a line of heavy rainfall on the eastern side of the Dominican Republic when it flew over on May 8, 2016 at 0428 UTC. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments collected data that were used to estimate rainfall. This precipitation is shown on a top-down satellite view. Powerful storms were measured dropping rain at a rate of almost 300 mm (11.8 inches)

Severe spring thunderstorms frequently spawned tornadoes from the Gulf Coast north and eastward during the past seven days. From April 25 to May 2, 2016 there were over 67 tornadoes in the United States reported to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Many of these tornadoes were located in an area that includes the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. This area of the Great Plains has been labeled Tornado Alley due to the many tornadoes that occur there this time of year. Gulf moisture clashing with frontal systems moving over the United States provided much

Severe spring thunderstorms frequently spawned tornadoes from the Gulf Coast north and eastward during the past week. Gulf moisture clashing with frontal systems moving over the United States provided much of the fuel for intense showers and severe thunderstorms. Flash flooding was often the result of the sudden onset of extremely heavy rainfall. Over 305 mm (12 inches) of rain was reported in southern Mississippi in a few hours one morning on April 28, 2016. NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data were used to estimate the amount of rain that fell from April 22-29

As expected, tropical cyclone Fantala reversed course and moved southeastward almost directly over it's earlier track. The tropical cyclone's intensity also fluctuated. Maximum winds dropped significantly as Fantala moved southeastward but have rebounded somewhat today. The GPM core observatory satellite flew over the tropical cyclone on April 19, 2016 at 1346Z when winds had dropped to about 95 kts (109 mph). At that time GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) found that Fantala still contained extremely heavy rainfall in storms spiraling into the tropical

A slow-moving frontal system associated with a stagnant upper-air pattern set the stage for heavy rains and flooding early this week from East Texas all the way up through the Central and Northern Plains. The hardest hit region was in and around the Houston area. On Monday, the National Weather Service reported that Houston International Airport broke its all time daily rainfall record with 9.92 inches of rain. Elsewhere in Harris County, over 17 inches of rain was recorded as of Monday evening. The main culprit was a stationary upper-level low pressure center spinning over the Central Rockies

Tropical cyclone Fantala has continued to intensify while moving westward over the open waters of the South Indian Ocean. The GPM core observatory satellite passed directly over Fantala's eye on April 14, 2016 at 0148 UTC. At that time the tropical cyclone had maximum sustained winds estimated at 90 kts (104 mph) making in the equivalent of a category two tropical cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments again captured data that were used to estimate rainfall within Fantala. Rain was measured by

A tropical cyclone called Fantala formed in the South Indian Ocean far to the east of Madagascar on on April 11, 2016. Fantala has slowly intensified while moving westward and is expected become even more powerful. The GPM core observatory satellite flew over Fantala (TC19S) on April 10, 2016 at 0206 UTC when the tropical cyclone was forming. The first image shows a rainfall analysis using data captured with by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments. GPM rainfall is shown overlaid on a 0200Z METEOSAT-7 Visible and Infrared image. Intense

Heavy rain was reported as weakening tropical cyclone Zena passed quickly by Tonga. Tropical cyclone Zena was in the process of being torn apart with strong vertical wind shear. The GPM core observatory satellite passed above Zena on April 7, 2016 at 0841 UTC after the center of the tropical cyclone had moved to the east-southeast of Tonga. Zena's maximum sustained winds had dropped to about 35 kts (40 mph). Rainfall derived from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) data are shown overlaid on a 0900 UTC GOES-WEST enhanced infrared image. GPM's GMI revealed that weakening tropical cyclone Zena still

Tropical cyclone Zena intensified over the open waters between Vanuatu and Fiji. At peak intensity Zena had sustained winds estimated at about 90 kts (104 mph). The GPM core observatory satellite had an excellent view of tropical cyclone Zena on April 6, 2016 at 0933 UTC when tropical cyclone Zena was located southwest of Fiji. Zena had started to weaken but still had maximum sustained wind speeds estimated at 80 kts (92 kts). An analysis of GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) data revealed the intensity of some very heavy showers in the tropical cyclone

Tropical Cyclone Zena (18P) formed in the South Pacific Ocean near Vanuatu early on April 5, 2016. The GPM core observatory satellite flew directly above the newly formed tropical cyclone on April 5, 2016 at 1023 UTC. Intensifying tropical cyclone Zena was buffeting Vanuatu with sustained winds estimated to be over 35 kts (40 mph). A rainfall analysis derived from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments shows that very powerful storms moving through the islands were dropping rain at a rate of almost 154 mm (6 inches) per hour in intense downpours