Arroyo Municipio, Puerto Rico
Municipio storm and disaster record · FIPS 72015 · population 15,822 · 15 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 45 records for Arroyo Municipio, Puerto Rico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 39 days; the most frequent are fog, smoke and funnel cloud records (18 records). The deadliest single record is the July 13, 2024 rip current, filed for the forecast zone Southeast, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1970, 26 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Tropical Storm Ernesto” on November 27, 2024.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 45on 39 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $903Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 2024
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Arroyo Municipio most?
The most frequent records are fog, smoke and funnel cloud records: 18 since 1996. Census land area gives no figure for Arroyo Municipio under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 18 | 16 | 1996-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Floods | 13 | 9 | 2009-2024 | 0 | 0 | $903M | – |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
When was the last damaging storm in Arroyo Municipio?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 13, 2024 rip current (1 death).
An 86-year-old male was found floating in Playa Guilarte in Arroyo, PR. A 911 call alerted the authorities and took the victim to a nearby hospital, where the doctors confirmed the fatality.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1196924)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-13 | Rip CurrentArroyo Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Southeast | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-09-20 | Flash FloodArroyo Municipio | 0 | 0 | $903M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-13 | Rip CurrentArroyo Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Southeast An 86-year-old male was found floating in Playa Guilarte in Arroyo, PR. A 911 call alerted the authorities and took the victim to a nearby hospital, where the doctors confirmed the fatality. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Arroyo Municipio's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Arroyo Municipio. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 0 · Feb 2 · Mar 2 · Apr 4 · May 4 · Jun 9 · Jul 10 · Aug 3 · Sep 3 · Oct 5 · Nov 3 · Dec 0 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Arroyo Municipio
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Arroyo Municipio: 17 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (13) and severe storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-27 | DR-4850 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Ernesto |
| 2024-08-13 | EM-3610 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Ernesto |
| 2022-09-21 | DR-4671 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fiona |
| 2022-09-18 | EM-3583 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Fiona |
| 2020-08-22 | EM-3537 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Laura |
| 2020-07-29 | EM-3532 | Hurricane | Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine |
| 2020-03-27 | DR-4493 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3452 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2020-01-07 | EM-3426 | Earthquake | Earthquakes |
| 2019-08-27 | EM-3417 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Dorian |
| 2017-09-20 | DR-4339 | Hurricane | Hurricane Maria |
| 2017-09-18 | EM-3391 | Hurricane | Hurricane Maria |
| 2011-08-27 | DR-4017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-08-22 | EM-3326 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2008-10-01 | DR-1798 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-09-17 | DR-1552 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Jeanne and Resulting Landslides and Mudslides |
| 2003-11-21 | DR-1501 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides |
| 1999-11-17 | EM-3151 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lenny |
| 1998-09-24 | DR-1247 | Hurricane | Hurricane Georges - 18 Sep 98 |
| 1996-09-11 | DR-1136 | Hurricane | Hurricane Hortense |
| 1992-01-22 | DR-931 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1989-09-21 | DR-842 | Hurricane | Hurricane Hugo |
| 1985-10-10 | DR-746 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding & Mudslides |
| 1979-09-02 | DR-597 | Hurricane | Hurricane David |
| 1975-09-19 | DR-483 | Flood | Tropical Storm Elioise |
| 1974-11-30 | DR-455 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1974-08-29 | EM-3002 | Drought | Impact of Drought |
| 1970-10-12 | DR-296 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Counties that share a border with Arroyo Municipio
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- The Puerto Rico recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Arroyo MunicipioThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Arroyo Municipio's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis