Wilmington was the wettest city on east coast in 2018

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — It should come as no surprise that Wilmington was the wettest city on the east coast in 2018.

From snow and ice early in January, through a soggy summer and the record-breaking rainfall of hurricane flooding, the official rain gauge at Wilmington International Airport saw more than 102 inches of precipitation. That’s more than eight feet of water, and nearly a foot and a half more than the previous record set more than a century ago.

ILM hit 102.40″ of rain last year. Newport/Morehead City fell just short of that with 101.96″. North Carolina cities made up the top 5 wettest places on the east coast.

So how remarkable was last year’s total rainfall? Consider these statistics from the National Weather Service:

• Wilmington’s average annual rainfall: 57.61″
• Previous record annual rainfall: 83.65″ in 1877
• This year Wilmington has recorded the most number of days ever with daily rainfall greater than 1.50, 3.00, and 4.00 inches.