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Puerto Rico high wind and dust storms

Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 77 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 54 high wind and dust records in Puerto Rico from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 3.0 a year since 2000. The costliest was the August 16, 2011 strong wind ($328,000 in 2025 dollars). Puerto Rico ranks 51st of 52 states and territories by count and 43rd of 51 per square mile.

High wind and dust storms in Puerto Rico, 1996 to 2026

Wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $1 million
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
541996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
3.0average
Deaths
03 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$588Kas filed
Busiest year
19987 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are high wind and dust records common in Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico averages about 3.0 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 51st of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 1998 (7). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Puerto Rico records 158 high wind and dust records since 1996, 43rd of 51 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. Rhode Island 7061
  2. 2. New Jersey 4882
  3. 3. Massachusetts 4776
  4. 4. Delaware 3705
  5. 5. Maryland 1330
  6. 6. Connecticut 1301
  7. 7. Vermont 1178
  8. 8. Hawaii 1067
  9. 9. New York 1028
  10. 10. Wyoming 900
  11. 43. Puerto Rico 158

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Puerto Rico have the most high wind and dust records?

Per square mile, Ponce Municipio leads Puerto Rico: 4 days with a high wind record since 1996, 34.8 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Arecibo Municipio has the most wind records (6 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

  1. Ponce Municipio 34.8 (4)
  2. Arecibo Municipio 31.7 (6)
  3. Utuado Municipio 17.6 (2)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the windy season in Puerto Rico?

41% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in January and February. The busiest month is February (14 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 8 · Feb 14 · Mar 2 · Apr 9 · May 2 · Jun 6 · Jul 1 · Aug 3 · Sep 2 · Oct 3 · Nov 0 · Dec 4 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

The costliest high wind and dust records in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2011-08-16 Strong WindCabo Rojo Municipio and 2 more · forecast zone Southwest 36 kt wind 0 0 $328K
2025-04-02 Strong WindAguas Buenas Municipio and 8 more · forecast zone Eastern Interior One storm episode: 3 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 30 kt wind 0 0 $32K
2026-02-28 Strong WindCanóvanas Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone Northeast One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 24 kt wind 0 1 $11K
2026-02-02 Strong WindAdjuntas Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Western Interior 30 kt wind 0 0 $3K
2007-12-11 Strong WindAguada Municipio and 4 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity 35 kt wind 0 2 $2K
2025-03-25 Strong WindCulebra Municipio · forecast zone Culebra 25 kt wind 0 0 $2K
2026-01-21 Strong WindGuayanilla Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Ponce And Vicinity 30 kt wind 0 0 $400

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are high wind and dust records becoming more frequent in Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

High wind and dust storms: Puerto Rico and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadePuerto RicoUnited StatesPuerto Rico's share
1996-99814,0260.06%
2000s2637,2540.07%
2010s1041,7480.02%
2020-261036,3000.03%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent high wind and dust records in Puerto Rico

The 10 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-02-28 Strong WindAguada Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity 22 kt wind 0 1 $5K
2026-02-28 Strong WindCanóvanas Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone Northeast 24 kt wind 0 0 $6K
2026-02-02 Strong WindAdjuntas Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone Western Interior 30 kt wind 0 0 $3K
2026-01-21 Strong WindGuayanilla Municipio and 5 more · forecast zone Ponce And Vicinity 30 kt wind 0 0 $400
2025-04-02 Strong WindAguas Buenas Municipio and 8 more · forecast zone Eastern Interior 30 kt wind 0 0 $15K
2025-04-02 Strong WindAguas Buenas Municipio and 8 more · forecast zone Eastern Interior 30 kt wind 0 0 $16K
2025-04-01 Strong WindBayamón Municipio and 7 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity 25 kt wind 0 0 $250
2025-03-25 Strong WindCulebra Municipio · forecast zone Culebra 25 kt wind 0 0 $2K
2011-08-16 Strong WindCabo Rojo Municipio and 2 more · forecast zone Southwest 36 kt wind 0 0 $328K
2007-12-11 Strong WindAguada Municipio and 4 more · forecast zone Mayaguez And Vicinity 35 kt wind 0 2 $2K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.

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