September 2021 was 15th wettest for Detroit, 9th for Flint

It may be that into each life some rain must fall, but this past September was one for the record books for Detroit and Flint, according to the National Weather Service.

In Detroit, September was the 15th wettest on record with 5.43 inches of rainfall, the agency's data shows. It was Flint's ninth wettest September on record with 5.62 inches.

A big burst of that rain came in two days on Sept. 22-23, when Detroit saw 2.85 inches and Flint recorded 2.72 inches.

Detroit's average rainfall in September is 3.22 inches while Flint's average rain total for the month is 2.9 inches.

But totals across lower Michigan varied widely. September 2021 didn't even make Saginaw's top 20 wettest.

More:Why Metro Detroit is unprepared for major storms

The soggiest September on record for all three cities was in 1986 when 7.52 inches of rain was dumped on Detroit and Flint was doused with 10.86 inches. Saginaw that year had more than 16 inches of rain. The agency has recorded Detroit's weather data since 1874.

And while the month was more wet than usual in the Detroit and Flint areas, it also was warmer. The average high temperature for the month was 76.5 degrees in Metro Detroit and 75 degrees in the Flint area. September's average high temperature in Detroit is 74.4 degrees and 73.1 degrees in Flint.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez