Climate change is one of the most serious public health issues facing America today. As temperatures continue to rise, water will evaporate at a faster rate, ultimately causing more prolonged periods of drought and — in some areas — more extreme rainfall.
Rainfall is affected by local climate conditions and varies heavily throughout the United States. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed metropolitan areas with the highest average annual precipitation using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s North America Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) for 1979 to 2011.
The Northeast and South receive, respectively, 46.0% and 40.8% more rain than the average nationwide. The Midwest receives 0.9% more, and the West receives 34.1% less.
Of the 30 cities that get the most rain, however, 10 are in Western states: six in Oregon, and four in Washington. The rest of the cities are in the South, with seven in Louisiana, five in Florida, three in Mississippi, and two in Alabama. Arkansas, and Tennessee are each home to one. Many of the cities that get the most rain are also among the U.S. cities that get the least sun and the places where weather is getting worse because of climate change.
Click here to learn more about the rainiest cities in the United States.
To determine the rainiest cities in the United States, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the metropolitan statistical areas with the highest average annual precipitation using data from the CDC’s North America Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) for the years 1979 to 2011. Data was aggregated from the county level to MSAs using boundary definitions and land area measurements from the U.S. Census Bureau.Â
Data on average maximum temperature and average number of kilowatt-hours of sun per square meter also came from CDC NLDAS and figures are for the years 1979 to 2011. Population statistics came from the Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey.
Source: carcar797 / Getty Images
30. Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL
> Avg. annual precipitation: 54.6 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 5 hours, 21 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 82.1 degrees
> Population: 154,383
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Source: Jens_Lambert_Photography / Getty Images
29. Chattanooga, TN-GA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 54.7 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 28 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 67.4 degrees
> Population: 554,876
Source: Tobias Kleinlercher / Wikimedia Commons
28. Grants Pass, OR
> Avg. annual precipitation: 55.0 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 44 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 59.6 degrees
> Population: 86,352
Source: danthi66 / Getty Images
27. Hot Springs, AR
> Avg. annual precipitation: 55.3 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 33 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 71.3 degrees
> Population: 98,658
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
26. Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
> Avg. annual precipitation: 55.7 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 54 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 77.4 degrees
> Population: 411,339
Source: whusband / Getty Images
25. Jackson, MS
> Avg. annual precipitation: 55.9 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 46 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 74.4 degrees
> Population: 578,794
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Source: stephenallen75 / Getty Images
24. Tallahassee, FL
> Avg. annual precipitation: 56.1 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 59 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 76.9 degrees
> Population: 385,473
Source: Rex_Wholster / Getty Images
23. Alexandria, LA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 57.3 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 48 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 76.9 degrees
> Population: 153,984
Source: csfotoimages / Getty Images
22. Hattiesburg, MS
> Avg. annual precipitation: 58.7 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 49 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 75.7 degrees
> Population: 146,530
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Source: Sean Gardner / Getty Images
21. Lake Charles, LA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 59.7 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 5 hours, 11 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 76.7 degrees
> Population: 210,962
Source: jezdicek / Getty Images
20. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 59.9 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 5 hours, 8 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 76.7 degrees
> Population: 1.3 million
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Source: JoannGiera / Getty Images
19. Panama City, FL
> Avg. annual precipitation: 60.2 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 59 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 76.7 degrees
> Population: 202,236
Source: KatieDobies / Getty Images
18. Houma-Thibodaux, LA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 60.7 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 5 hours, 3 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 77.2 degrees
> Population: 210,512
Source: deebrowning / Getty Images
17. Corvallis, OR
> Avg. annual precipitation: 60.9 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 7 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 60.0 degrees
> Population: 90,951
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
16. Lafayette, LA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 61.2 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 5 hours, 1 minute
> Avg. daily max temperature: 76.9 degrees
> Population: 491,558
Source: CampPhoto / Getty Images
15. Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
> Avg. annual precipitation: 61.2 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 54 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 76.5 degrees
> Population: 271,346
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Source: George Dodd / Getty Images
14. Mobile, AL
> Avg. annual precipitation: 61.2 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 53 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 76.0 degrees
> Population: 413,955
Source: Richard David Ramsey / Wikimedia Commons
13. Hammond, LA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 61.9 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 54 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 77.0 degrees
> Population: 132,497
Source: Roberto Michel / Getty Images
12. Baton Rouge, LA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 62.0 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 50 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 77.2 degrees
> Population: 834,159
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Source: Jens_Lambert_Photography / Getty Images
11. Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
> Avg. annual precipitation: 62.1 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 54 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 75.3 degrees
> Population: 487,784
Source: George Dodd / Getty Images
10. Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
> Avg. annual precipitation: 62.4 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 54 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 75.4 degrees
> Population: 212,628
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Source: Samson1976 / Getty Images
9. Eugene, OR
> Avg. annual precipitation: 62.8 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 19 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 57.6 degrees
> Population: 374,748
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Source: DaveMcDPhoto / Getty Images
8. Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
> Avg. annual precipitation: 63.2 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 56 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 76.3 degrees
> Population: 394,232
Source: Strekoza2 / Getty Images
7. Salem, OR
> Avg. annual precipitation: 64.2 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 5 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 58.4 degrees
> Population: 424,982
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Source: Joel Carillet / Getty Images
6. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 68.0 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 4 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 56.4 degrees
> Population: 2.5 million
Source: Joshua Rainey Photography / Shutterstock.com
5. Albany, OR
> Avg. annual precipitation: 69.4 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 4 hours, 11 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 57.6 degrees
> Population: 125,047
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Source: egschiller / Getty Images
4. Bellingham, WA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 72.6 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 3 hours, 49 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 49.0 degrees
> Population: 221,404
Source: gmc3101 / Getty Images
3. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 73.9 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 3 hours, 54 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 52.8 degrees
> Population: 3.9 million
Source: svetlana57 / Getty Images
2. Longview, WA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 75.0 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 3 hours, 48 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 56.6 degrees
> Population: 106,910
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Source: LoweStock / Getty Images
1. Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
> Avg. annual precipitation: 80.2 inches
> Avg. hours of full-sun per day: 3 hours, 49 minutes
> Avg. daily max temperature: 50.1 degrees
> Population: 125,619
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