Vega Alta Municipio, Puerto Rico
Municipio storm and disaster record · FIPS 72143 · population 35,369 · 28 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 323 records for Vega Alta Municipio, Puerto Rico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 211 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (194 records). 218 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 May 10, 2026 rip current, filed for the forecast zone North Central, which covers the county: 3 deaths and 3 injuries. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1970, 24 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
- 323on 211 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 3427 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.5Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Vega Alta Municipio most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 194 since 1999. Census land area gives no figure for Vega Alta Municipio under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 194 | 105 | 1999-2026 | 1 | 0 | $910M | – |
| Rip currents and high surf | 39 | 37 | 2004-2026 | 33 | 27 | $3.4M | – |
| Heat | 31 | 31 | 2023-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Landslides and avalanches | 21 | 17 | 2003-2023 | 0 | 0 | $247K | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 11 | 8 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $544M | – |
| Drought | 6 | 6 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 2008-2013 | 0 | 0 | $633 | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 4 | 1998-2005 | 0 | 0 | $36K | – |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 5 | 2011-2025 | 0 | 0 | $138K | – |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2001-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 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 Vega Alta Municipio?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 10, 2026 rip current (3 deaths and 3 injuries).
Three males (aged 49-58 years) were swept away by rip currents and drowned near Cueva del Indio Beach in Barrio Islote, Arecibo.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1344072)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-10 | Rip CurrentArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 3 | 3 | – | |
| 2026-04-04 | Rip CurrentArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | High SurfArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-27 | Flash FloodVega Alta Municipio | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2026-03-27 | FloodVega Alta Municipio | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2026-03-25 | FloodVega Alta Municipio | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-03-25 | Flash FloodVega Alta Municipio | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-03-25 | Flash FloodVega Alta Municipio | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2026-03-18 | Rip CurrentArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | Rip CurrentArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2026-02-09 | High SurfArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2026-02-09 | Coastal FloodArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 0 | 0 | $10K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-10 | Rip CurrentArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central Three males (aged 49-58 years) were swept away by rip currents and drowned near Cueva del Indio Beach in Barrio Islote, Arecibo. | 3 | 3 | – | |
| 2023-03-03 | Rip CurrentArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central A group of five tourists was swept away by rip currents at Caracoles beach in Arecibo. Three were able to swim back to the coastline. However, a father and a son drowned. | 2 | 5 | – | |
| 2026-03-18 | Rip CurrentArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central Two persons were swept away by rip currents at Poza de las Mujeres Beach along road PR-6684. | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 2026-02-09 | High SurfArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central High surf impacted the Cueva del Indio area in Arecibo during the afternoon of February 9, 2026. Three individuals were on coastal rocks when a large breaking wave swept them into the ocean. One person returned safely to shore, while the other two were carried offshore. After several days of search operations, the ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | Rip CurrentArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central A rip current incident occurred at Puerto Nuevo Beach in Vega Baja during the morning of February 19, 2026. Four individuals entered the water and were swept toward deeper waters by a strong rip current. Three individuals returned safely to shore, while one was carried offshore. Search efforts continued for more than ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2022-03-25 | Rip CurrentArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central A party of three people (two males and a female) were swept away by the rip currents in Playa Poza las Mujeres in Manati. A 25-year-old male drown, while the rest of the party was rescued. | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2013-04-28 | High SurfArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central One female drowned and three men were injured due to high surf conditions at Cueva del Indio sector. | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Rip CurrentArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central Two 21-year-old males from Corozal were swept away by rip currents at Caracoles Beach along Highway PR-681 in Arecibo. One individual was rescued by the US Coast Guard and transported to a hospital. The body of the second individual was recovered the following day, Jan 19th. | 1 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-11-16 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Arecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Aguadilla | 0 | 0 | $27M | |
| 2008-03-19 | High SurfArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 0 | 0 | $3.4M | |
| 2010-05-31 | Flash FloodVega Alta Municipio | 0 | 0 | $677K | |
| 2026-02-09 | Coastal FloodArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-03-25 | Flash FloodVega Alta Municipio | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-03-25 | FloodVega Alta Municipio | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2025-01-11 | Coastal FloodArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2025-10-03 | Coastal FloodArecibo Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone North Central | 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 Vega Alta 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 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 93 | 66 | 34 |
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 9 | 23 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Landslides and avalanches | – | – | – | – | 0 | 19 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
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 Vega Alta Municipio. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 37 · Feb 13 · Mar 31 · Apr 30 · May 62 · Jun 19 · Jul 35 · Aug 17 · Sep 17 · Oct 20 · Nov 29 · Dec 13 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Vega Alta Municipio
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Vega Alta Municipio: 15 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 |
| 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 |
| 2017-09-05 | EM-3384 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2011-08-22 | EM-3326 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2010-06-24 | DR-1919 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-09-17 | DR-1552 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Jeanne and Resulting Landslides and Mudslides |
| 2001-11-28 | DR-1396 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 1974-11-30 | DR-455 | Flood | Flooding |
| 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 Vega Alta 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 Vega Alta MunicipioThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Vega Alta Municipio's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis