rain rates?

Question

What do these amounts really mean, should I be worried when the weatherman says "2 inches of rain expected" I'm trying to find something similar to the Hurricane Scale but that shows rain rates and hazards. Thank you very much for your input.

Answer 1

I am not sure how to put answer to ques,but I'll give you an insight on what you should take into consideration,and no there is no scale,at least not to my knowledge.
2inches of rain can be deadly if it is concentrated in a half hour time period,take that into consideration also with terrain and the condition of your environment.
If the weather personnel says its going to rain 2inches per hour over 2-3 hours that really depends also on how saturated the earth is,if it will lead to flooding or not. however this all depends on conditions pre rainfall conditions,flash flooding however can occur if your in the tropics,as up to 4-5 inches can come in one single down pour,eg;1 hour time frame.
So it all depends on these conditions that are listed above.

Answer 2

As mentioned by the others, it is dependent on the type of area you live and the current ground saturation conditions. "Usually" 2 inches of rain expected over a 12-24 hour time period will not cause to much problem.

Here in Indiana, the Department of Natural Resources has put together a rainfall rate map that will give some guidance as to expected rainfall vs. flooding conditions. The table shows an amount of rain over a period of time which can be calculated to give you the approximate flooding conditions over an area.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

2 inches of rain, you shouldnt be as worried but if the weatherman say, 2 inch an hour rainfall rates, den you have to really worry. You can easly get 4 or more inches in 2 hours. Thats not good