cloudburst

Anybody visiting town, not knowing what was going on, would think that vacant land was as common as raindrops in a cloudburst.

Just a yielding here, a parting there, until the cloudburst precipitated the disaster.

"They came without warning and all at once, like a summer cloudburst," the Hungarian said.

"Cloudburst" is merely a picturesque name for a very heavy shower; usually a thunder-shower.