Record-breaking microstorm system supports new rainfall frequency estimates in Illinois

Abstract

Total rainfall in the 1993 storm exceeded the previous 103-year maximum by nearly 50%. Analysis provides strong evidence that even a 100-year record of point rainfall may be misleading in estimating the frequency of extreme rainfall events for that point and the immediate vicinity. The problem of natural time and space variability in the distribution of extreme rain events is shown from analysis of the 104-year record. -from Author