Rincón Municipio, Puerto Rico
Municipio storm and disaster record · FIPS 72117 · population 15,187 · 14 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 58 records for Rincón Municipio, Puerto Rico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 51 days; the most frequent are heat records (26 records). 48 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 15, 2025 rip current, filed for the forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity, which covers the county: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1975, 20 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
- 58on 51 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 88 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.4Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Rincón Municipio most?
The most frequent records are heat records: 26 since 2023. 54% of its heat records since 2023 fell in June and July. Census land area gives no figure for Rincón Municipio under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 26 | 26 | 2023-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Floods | 11 | 10 | 2015-2026 | 1 | 0 | $1.2M | – |
| Rip currents and high surf | 9 | 9 | 2017-2025 | 7 | 4 | $1.2M | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 2 | 2020-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 2 | 2013-2022 | 0 | 0 | $8K | – |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2026-2026 | 0 | 1 | $5K | – |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 1 | – | – |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 2 | – | – |
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 Rincón Municipio?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 28, 2026 strong wind (1 injury and $4,500 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Emergency Managers reported a fallen tree at PR-414 at Bo. Guayabo close to the sixth house near the entrance of Bo. Cruces. Emergency managers reported that the roadway was not obstructed but that people were trapped and a person was injured. The nearest official station reported a gust of 25 mph at the time.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1320147)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-28 | Strong WindAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 22 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| 2026-02-03 | Coastal FloodAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-10-20 | High SurfAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-03 | Coastal FloodAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-03-20 | Coastal FloodAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2025-03-20 | Coastal FloodAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2025-03-15 | Rip CurrentAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-03-08 | Rip CurrentAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-11 | High SurfAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2024-03-13 | WildfireAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2023-03-02 | Rip CurrentAguada Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-12-20 | Rip CurrentAguada Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 1 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-15 | Rip CurrentAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity A 61-year-old male tourist from California drowned at Sandy Beach in Barrio Puntas, Rincon, after struggling in the water. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2023-03-02 | Rip CurrentAguada Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity A 49-year-old woman was swept away by rip currents while surfing at Steps beach in Rincon. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-12-20 | Rip CurrentAguada Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity A tourist drowned while swimming with his son on Sandy Beach, Rincon. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-11-28 | Rip CurrentAguada Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity A 26-year-old male was surfing in Domes Beach, Rincon, and was caught in a rip current and drowned. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-10-20 | High SurfAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity A 72-year-old male surfer was found unresponsive in the water near Playa Tres Palmas in Rincn. The individual was struck by his surfboard, lost consciousness, and subsequently drowned in the presence of high surf and strong currents. Bystanders and authorities recovered the victim, who was later pronounced deceased. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-08 | Rip CurrentAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity A 71-year-old male tourist drowned after being swept away by rip currents at a beach near a hotel on PR-115 in Barrio Caguabo, Anasco. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-07-30 | Flash FloodRincon, Rincón Municipio A woman in her 50s was swept away while inside her vehicle by a small stream located on Road PR-411 KM 0.1. Woman was found dead a few days after. | 1 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2020-01-28 | Rip CurrentAguada Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity A 61 year old male was found from New Jersey was found dead in Black Eagle Beach in Rincon. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-03-06 | High SurfAguada Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2026-02-03 | Coastal FloodAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2026-02-28 | Strong WindAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 22 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| 2025-01-11 | High SurfAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2025-03-20 | Coastal FloodAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2025-03-20 | Coastal FloodAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $2K |
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 Rincón 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
54% of its heat records since 2023 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 3 · Feb 2 · Mar 7 · Apr 0 · May 3 · Jun 11 · Jul 7 · Aug 6 · Sep 10 · Oct 6 · Nov 2 · Dec 1 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Rincón Municipio
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Rincón Municipio: 12 major disasters, 10 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (13) and severe storm (4).
| 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 |
| 2020-09-09 | DR-4560 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 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 |
| 2020-01-16 | DR-4473 | Earthquake | Earthquakes |
| 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 |
| 2004-09-17 | DR-1552 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Jeanne and Resulting Landslides and Mudslides |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1372 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding 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 |
| 1979-09-02 | DR-597 | Hurricane | Hurricane David |
| 1975-09-19 | DR-483 | Flood | Tropical Storm Elioise |
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 Rincón Municipio
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Heat in Puerto RicoThe state's heat records, 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 Rincón MunicipioThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Rincón Municipio's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis