Cataño Municipio, Puerto Rico
Municipio storm and disaster record · FIPS 72033 · population 23,068 · 5 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 66 records for Cataño Municipio, Puerto Rico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 58 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (25 records). 40 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the March 10, 2024 rip current, filed for the forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1970, 22 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Tropical Storm Ernesto” on August 13, 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
- 66on 58 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 69 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $903Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Cataño Municipio most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 25 since 2010. Census land area gives no figure for Cataño Municipio under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 25 | 20 | 2010-2025 | 0 | 0 | $903M | – |
| Heat | 24 | 24 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Rip currents and high surf | 9 | 9 | 2024-2026 | 6 | 9 | $24K | – |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 4 | 3 | 2024-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5K | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 2 | 2024-2025 | 0 | 0 | $14K | – |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | $4K | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 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 Cataño Municipio?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 18, 2026 rip current (1 death and 3 injuries).
A man drowned after being swept away by rip currents at Condado Beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The man lost his life when he entered the water to rescue two of his friends.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1326600)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-04 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-03 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-18 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2025-08-24 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-23 | Thunderstorm WindCatano, Cataño Municipio | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-08-16 | Thunderstorm WindCatano, Cataño Municipio | 22 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-07-20 | Flash FloodCatano, Cataño Municipio | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2025-05-17 | FloodCatano, Cataño Municipio | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2025-04-01 | Strong WindBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 25 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $250 |
| 2025-01-11 | Coastal FloodBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-10 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity Two males were swept away by rip currents near Ventana del Mar, behind La Concha Hotel in Condado. According to initial reports, a local resident tried to rescue a tourist who had been pulled away by the currents. They both drowned. The first victim was identified as a 20-year-old male from Washington visiting the ... | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 2026-03-18 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity A man drowned after being swept away by rip currents at Condado Beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The man lost his life when he entered the water to rescue two of his friends. | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity A 53-year-old man drowned at Ocean Park Beach after being pulled by a rip current while attempting to assist a family member in the water. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity The police marine unit and emergency managers reported that a 39-year-old man drowned after being caught in a rip current behind Mar-Bella Restaurant in Loiza. A woman was also swept by the rip current at the same location but was successfully rescued by the first responders. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2024-09-08 | Rip CurrentBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity A 22-year-old woman from Indianapolis, USA, drowned at Condado Beach in San Juan while attempting to rescue two people who had been swept away by a rip current. The incident occurred at approximately 7:00 p.m. on September 8th. Although the two people she was trying to save were rescued, she unfortunately died, and ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-20 | Flash FloodCatano, Cataño Municipio | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2025-08-23 | Thunderstorm WindCatano, Cataño Municipio | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-01-11 | Coastal FloodBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-08-16 | Thunderstorm WindCatano, Cataño Municipio | 22 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-04-01 | Strong WindBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 25 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $250 |
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 Cataño 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 12 | 13 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
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 Cataño Municipio. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 3 · Feb 0 · Mar 4 · Apr 3 · May 10 · Jun 13 · Jul 3 · Aug 6 · Sep 9 · Oct 4 · Nov 7 · Dec 4 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cataño Municipio
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Cataño Municipio: 13 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (14) and severe storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2022-03-29 | DR-4649 | Flood | Severe Storm, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 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 |
| 2017-09-10 | DR-4336 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2011-08-27 | DR-4017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-08-22 | EM-3326 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2009-10-24 | EM-3306 | Fire | Explosions and Fire |
| 2004-09-17 | DR-1552 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Jeanne and Resulting Landslides and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 1989-09-21 | DR-842 | Hurricane | Hurricane Hugo |
| 1979-09-02 | DR-597 | Hurricane | Hurricane David |
| 1975-09-19 | DR-483 | Flood | Tropical Storm Elioise |
| 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 Cataño Municipio
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Floods in Puerto RicoThe state's floods and flash floods, by county, year and month
- The Puerto Rico recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Cataño MunicipioThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cataño Municipio's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis