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The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.

State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index

Puerto Rico Natural Disasters

Puerto Rico's federal declaration record sits near the middle of the state distribution. 51 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by hurricane, with $19.1B in combined property and crop damage. A moderate count like this can still mask a single catastrophic year rather than a steady annual pattern. NOAA storm event data shows 2,944 recorded weather events resulting in 163 fatalities, numbers that shape which hazards get priority in the state's preparedness planning.

51
FEMA declarations
2,944
NOAA storm events
163
Storm fatalities
$19.1B
Property + crop damage

The Puerto Rico risk picture

0 of Puerto Rico's 78 municipios, 0%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with hurricane the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. Puerto Rico has 36 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 102 injuries statewide.

0%
of municipios rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
51
FEMA disaster declarations on record
$19.1B
in tracked property + crop damage
8,699
NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide

FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.

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FEMA declarations

51

Below median

Major Disaster share

71%

Major-heavy

NOAA storm events

2,944

Observed severe-weather records

How does Puerto Rico compare?

Puerto Rico vs. every U.S. state

FEMA disaster declarations, all-time

51 24th percentile higher than 24% of 59 states and territories

This state 0 400 all U.S. states and territories FEMA tracks, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03

Do more storms mean more federal disasters?

Puerto Rico sits at the 18th percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 16th percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.

FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank

Each point is a state or territory plotted by within-sample rank percentile (0–100) on FEMA OpenFEMA declarations (x) and NOAA Storm Events (y). Crosshairs mark the mid-rank (50th). Illinois is the clearest threshold-gap example in this release. Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 + NOAA Storm Events Database. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by FEMA declarations (percentile) (X) and NOAA storm events (percentile) (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. Busy on both ledgersMany storms · fewer declarationsDeclaration-heavy · fewer stormsQuiet on both 406080100120 020406080100120 FEMA declarations (percentile) NOAA storm events (percentile) Signature insight
Each point is a state or territory plotted by within-sample rank percentile (0–100) on FEMA OpenFEMA declarations (x) and NOAA Storm Events (y). Crosshairs mark the mid-rank (50th). Illinois is the clearest threshold-gap example in this release. Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 + NOAA Storm Events Database.
Read the chart, every state as text

Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.

StateFEMA declsFEMA %ileNOAA stormsNOAA %ile
California3969823,69493
Texas3899653,30998
Oklahoma2589523,89695
Washington215934,40822
Florida1889112,83855
Oregon169893,69520
New Mexico1268710,97445
Arizona120859,54138
New York1188421,65382
Montana1128213,57656
Colorado1117818,34073
Louisiana1117811,20447
Nevada110764,53424
Alabama1027514,58364
Kentucky987119,94778
Mississippi987114,10062
Tennessee976916,64569
South Dakota966722,75987
Alaska94642,68315
Kansas946425,11596
Arkansas876013,63758
Nebraska876020,13680
Missouri865822,95289
North Carolina855616,36767
West Virginia845512,02649
Georgia815116,67671
Minnesota815119,10975
Iowa784921,88384
Virginia774723,58491
North Dakota754510,81844
Hawaii72446,20031
Maine71424,78127
Illinois684022,08885
Pennsylvania643819,42776
New Hampshire63362,54711
Vermont62353,44918
Idaho60315,14229
Ohio603116,18465
Massachusetts59256,78133
New Jersey59258,21835
Utah59254,57825
Wisconsin562413,80760
Indiana542212,68753
Puerto Rico51182,94416
South Carolina511810,52042
Michigan46169,05236
Wyoming451512,49451
Connecticut43132,62213
Maryland381110,29040
U.S. Virgin Islands339880
Rhode Island3179247
Delaware2651,4759
Guam2542582
District of Columbia2424525
American Samoa1702924

What shapes Puerto Rico's record?

FEMA declaration types in Puerto Rico

Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type

declarations

What this shows Hurricane leads Puerto Rico's FEMA declaration mix with 20 records among the types shown.

Source FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 As of 2026-08-03

NOAA storm events by year

Reported severe-weather events in Puerto Rico, 2015–2025 catalog window.

0200400600800 20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 440
NOAA Storm Events Database event counts for Puerto Rico. Focus a year mark for its exact count.

Peak year in this series: 2024 (746 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.

57 /100

Historical Activity Index

High historical activity

Puerto Rico · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records

This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology

FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
9/30

51 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.6x state average)

NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) Low
3/25

2944 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (0.3x median state)

NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Very High
25/25

Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (33.0x median state)

Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20

9 different disaster types declared in Puerto Rico

What does Puerto Rico's hazard record show?

FEMA disaster declarations

Puerto Rico (PR) has a moderate level of federal declaration activity, with 51 FEMA declaration records, including 36 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Hurricane, followed by Severe Storm (11), Flood (11), Biological (2). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.

Flood exposure & where to dig deeper

Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 24Puerto Rico counties have filed 8,699 NFIP claims totaling $57.4M, or an average of $6.6K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Hurricane, estimated at $1.5B annually. Drill into individual municipios for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.

NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index

NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, Puerto Rico recorded 2,944 individual storm events, causing 163 fatalities and 102 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $19.1B. The most frequent event types in the state are Flash Flood (907 events), Flood (858 events), Debris Flow (297 events). Across the state's 78 analyzed municipios, FEMA's own National Risk Index flags 0 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 0.0/100.

What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.

Disaster Types in Puerto Rico

Hurricane 20
Severe Storm 11
Flood 11
Biological 2
Drought 2
Earthquake 2
Fire 1
Tropical Storm 1
Other 1

Storm Events by Type

NOAA storm event data for Puerto Rico (2015-2025).

Event Type Events Fatalities Injuries Property Damage
Flash Flood 907 31 14 $19.0B
Flood 858 2 0 $2.0M
Debris Flow 297 0 0 $3.8M
Thunderstorm Wind 194 1 3 $1.7M
Excessive Heat 184 0 0 $0
Rip Current 123 120 69 $0
Heavy Rain 80 0 0 $49.0K
Coastal Flood 63 1 0 $67.0K
Tropical Storm 58 0 1 $2.0K
Lightning 39 4 12 $135.6K
Hail 37 0 1 $524.6K
Funnel Cloud 31 0 0 $0
Drought 24 0 0 $0
Strong Wind 14 0 0 $54.1K
High Surf 13 4 0 $97.0K
Hurricane (Typhoon) 11 0 0 $5.0M
Tornado 9 0 0 $197.5K
Wildfire 2 0 2 $400.0K

Storm Events by Year

Year Events Fatalities Injuries Property Damage
2025 440 16 17 $1.8M
2024 746 19 31 $2.1M
2023 284 22 24 $1.1M
2022 340 21 20 $4.3M
2021 199 27 3 $66.5K
2020 174 18 4 $13.0M
2019 155 0 1 $151.5K
2018 98 2 0 $9.5K
2017 222 25 0 $19.0B
2016 184 5 1 $1.0M
2015 102 8 1 $14.3K

FEMA Disaster Declarations

How the 51 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.

Download all 51 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.

51 unique disaster declarations in Puerto Rico.

DR# Title Type Incident Date
4850 TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO DR Tropical Storm 2024-11-27
3610 TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO EM Severe Storm 2024-08-13
4805 SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES DR Flood 2024-07-23
4671 HURRICANE FIONA DR Hurricane 2022-09-21
3583 TROPICAL STORM FIONA EM Hurricane 2022-09-18
4649 SEVERE STORM, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES DR Flood 2022-03-29
4571 SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING DR Flood 2020-11-05
4560 HURRICANE ISAIAS DR Hurricane 2020-09-09
3537 TROPICAL STORM LAURA EM Hurricane 2020-08-22
3532 POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE NINE EM Hurricane 2020-07-29
4493 COVID-19 PANDEMIC DR Biological 2020-03-27
3452 COVID-19 EM Biological 2020-03-13
4473 EARTHQUAKES DR Earthquake 2020-01-16
3426 EARTHQUAKES EM Earthquake 2020-01-07
3417 TROPICAL STORM DORIAN EM Severe Storm 2019-08-27
4339 HURRICANE MARIA DR Hurricane 2017-09-20
3391 HURRICANE MARIA EM Hurricane 2017-09-18
4336 HURRICANE IRMA DR Hurricane 2017-09-10
3384 HURRICANE IRMA EM Hurricane 2017-09-05
4040 TROPICAL STORM MARIA DR Hurricane 2011-10-18
4017 HURRICANE IRENE DR Hurricane 2011-08-27
3326 HURRICANE IRENE EM Hurricane 2011-08-22
4004 SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES DR Severe Storm 2011-07-14
1946 SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES ASSOC W TS OTTO DR Severe Storm 2010-10-26
1919 SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING DR Severe Storm 2010-06-24
3306 EXPLOSIONS AND FIRE EM Fire 2009-10-24
1798 SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING DR Severe Storm 2008-10-01
1613 SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES DR Severe Storm 2005-11-10
1552 TROPICAL STORM JEANNE AND RESULTING LANDSLIDES AND MUDSLIDES DR Severe Storm 2004-09-17
1501 SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES DR Severe Storm 2003-11-21
1396 SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES AND LANDSLIDES DR Severe Storm 2001-11-28
1372 SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES DR Severe Storm 2001-05-16
3151 HURRICANE LENNY EM Hurricane 1999-11-17
1247 HURRICANE GEORGES - 18 SEP 98 DR Hurricane 1998-09-24
3130 HURRICANE GEORGES (DIRECT FEDERAL ASSIST FIRST 72 HRS) EM Hurricane 1998-09-21
3124 GAS LEAK EXPLOSION EM Other 1996-11-21
1136 HURRICANE HORTENSE DR Hurricane 1996-09-11
1068 HURRICANE MARILYN DR Hurricane 1995-09-16
931 SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING DR Flood 1992-01-22
842 HURRICANE HUGO DR Hurricane 1989-09-21
805 SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING DR Flood 1987-12-17
768 HEAVY RAINS, FLOODING & MUDSLIDES DR Flood 1986-07-10
746 SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING & MUDSLIDES DR Flood 1985-10-10
736 STORMS, MUD/LAND SLIDES, FLOODING DR Flood 1985-05-31
597 HURRICANE DAVID DR Hurricane 1979-09-02
483 TROPICAL STORM ELIOISE DR Flood 1975-09-19
455 FLOODING DR Flood 1974-11-30
3002 IMPACT OF DROUGHT EM Drought 1974-08-29
296 HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING DR Flood 1970-10-12
170 EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS DR Drought 1964-05-26

Showing 50 of 51 declarations.

FEMA National Risk Index

Composite natural hazard risk scores for Puerto Rico municipios based on FEMA's National Risk Index.

Avg County Risk Score

0.0/100

High Risk Municipios

0

of 78 municipios

Top Hazard by EAL

Hurricane

$1.5B annual loss est.

Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss

#1

Hurricane

$1.5B EAL

#2

Earthquake

$802.8M EAL

#3

Riverine Flooding

$314.1M EAL

#4

Landslide

$291.3M EAL

#5

Tsunami

$248.7M EAL

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri

NFIP Flood Insurance Claims

National Flood Insurance Program claims across Puerto Rico from FEMA NFIP data.

Total Claims

8,699

Total Paid

$57.4M

Avg Per Claim

$6.6K

Counties With Claims

24

Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data

Municipios in Puerto Rico

78 municipios with FEMA disaster data.

# Municipio DisastersMajor
1 Utuado Municipio 39 28
2 Orocovis Municipio 36 26
3 Adjuntas Municipio 35 25
4 Yabucoa Municipio 34 23
5 Villalba Municipio 34 23
6 Yauco Municipio 32 20
7 Jayuya Municipio 32 22
8 Salinas Municipio 32 21
9 Barranquitas Municipio 32 21
10 Aibonito Municipio 31 20
11 Naguabo Municipio 31 21
12 Santa Isabel Municipio 31 20
13 Coamo Municipio 31 20
14 Ciales Municipio 30 20
15 Ponce Municipio 30 20
16 San Lorenzo Municipio 30 20
17 Toa Baja Municipio 29 17
18 Patillas Municipio 29 19
19 Fajardo Municipio 29 18
20 Naranjito Municipio 29 19
21 Juana Díaz Municipio 29 18
22 Loíza Municipio 28 18
23 Maunabo Municipio 28 18
24 Guánica Municipio 28 17
25 Canóvanas Municipio 28 17
26 Cayey Municipio 28 17
27 Guayanilla Municipio 28 17
28 Guayama Municipio 28 17
29 Arecibo Municipio 28 18
30 Arroyo Municipio 28 17
31 Morovis Municipio 28 18
32 Comerío Municipio 28 17
33 Las Piedras Municipio 28 18
34 Vega Baja Municipio 28 17
35 Aguas Buenas Municipio 28 18
36 Sabana Grande Municipio 28 17
37 Vieques Municipio 28 16
38 Peñuelas Municipio 28 17
39 Lares Municipio 27 17
40 Humacao Municipio 27 17
41 Ceiba Municipio 27 16
42 San Germán Municipio 27 17
43 Maricao Municipio 27 17
44 Corozal Municipio 27 17
45 Juncos Municipio 27 17
46 Lajas Municipio 27 16
47 Luquillo Municipio 27 17
48 San Sebastián Municipio 26 16
49 Gurabo Municipio 26 16
50 Río Grande Municipio 26 16
51 Añasco Municipio 26 16
52 Barceloneta Municipio 26 16
53 Caguas Municipio 26 16
54 Vega Alta Municipio 26 15
55 Dorado Municipio 25 15
56 Toa Alta Municipio 25 14
57 Carolina Municipio 25 14
58 Bayamón Municipio 25 14
59 Cabo Rojo Municipio 25 14
60 Cidra Municipio 25 14
61 Culebra Municipio 25 14
62 Las Marías Municipio 25 15
63 Manatí Municipio 24 14
64 Guaynabo Municipio 24 13
65 Cataño Municipio 24 13
66 San Juan Municipio 24 12
67 Trujillo Alto Municipio 23 12
68 Mayagüez Municipio 23 13
69 Camuy Municipio 22 12
70 Rincón Municipio 22 12
71 Hormigueros Municipio 22 12
72 Aguada Municipio 22 12
73 Florida Municipio 21 11
74 Hatillo Municipio 21 11
75 Moca Municipio 20 10
76 Quebradillas Municipio 19 9
77 Isabela Municipio 18 8
78 Aguadilla Municipio 17 7

All 78 municipios in Puerto Rico are listed above.

Disaster Preparedness Guides

Learn more about natural disaster risk, preparedness, and data interpretation.

Preparing for Natural Disasters

Essential steps to prepare your household for the most common natural hazards.

Hazard Risk by Region

How natural disaster risk varies across different US regions.

Climate Change & Disasters

How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What natural disasters affect Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico is affected by hurricane, severe storm, flood, biological. The most common disaster type is Hurricane, based on 51 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Puerto Rico had?
Puerto Rico has received 51 FEMA disaster declarations, including 36 major disaster declarations. These declarations span multiple disaster types including Hurricane (20), Severe Storm (11), Flood (11).
What severe weather events are most common in Puerto Rico?
The most common severe weather events in Puerto Rico include flash flood (907 events), flood (858 events), debris flow (297 events). Over that 2015-2025 NOAA record, these events resulted in 163 fatalities and $19.1B in property and crop damage.
How active is Puerto Rico's federal disaster declaration record?
Puerto Rico has a moderate level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 51 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 163 fatalities and 102 injuries. NOAA-listed property and crop damage totals $19.1B.
How many flood insurance claims has Puerto Rico had?
Puerto Rico has 8,699 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $57.4M total paid out. Claims average $6.6K, with 24 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which municipios in Puerto Rico have the most disaster declarations?
Among 78 municipios in Puerto Rico, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Utuado (39 declarations), Orocovis (36 declarations), Adjuntas (35 declarations). Breaking the declarations down by county reveals patterns a statewide total can mask.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only

What this means for Puerto Rico

Utuado alone accounts for 76% of Puerto Rico's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 78 counties tracked statewide.

  • The declaration record is uneven within the state: Utuado and Orocovis carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
  • See how Puerto Rico ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
  • Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide

Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.

PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →

Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial

Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.