Puerto Rico landslides and avalanches
Every recorded landslide or avalanche record since 1996 · 71 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 629 landslide and avalanche records in Puerto Rico from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 36 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the October 25, 2007 debris flow in Aibonito Municipio and 9 more: 2 deaths, 2 injuries and $142,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. Puerto Rico ranks 2nd of 37 states and territories by count and 1st of 37 per square mile.
Landslides and avalanches in Puerto Rico, 1996 to 2026
Landslide 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
- 6291996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 36average
- Deaths
- 34 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $11Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 202478 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 landslide and avalanche records common in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico averages about 36 landslide and avalanche records a year since 2000, 2nd of 37 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2024 (78). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Puerto Rico records 1837 landslide and avalanche records since 1996, 1st of 37 states and territories by that measure.
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 landslide and avalanche records?
Per square mile, Utuado Municipio leads Puerto Rico: 52 days with a landslide or avalanche record since 1996, 458.0 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Utuado Municipio has the most landslide records (77 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).
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 slide season in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico's landslide and avalanche records by month. The busiest month is May (112 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 21 · Feb 6 · Mar 18 · Apr 111 · May 112 · Jun 28 · Jul 26 · Aug 56 · Sep 60 · Oct 78 · Nov 82 · Dec 31 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest landslide and avalanche records in Puerto Rico?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-10-25 | Debris FlowAibonito Municipio and 9 more · forecast zone Central Interior A landslide along road PR-14, at Barrio Asomante, 100 Muros Sector in the Aibonito municipality was responsible for the death of two persons, and injuries to another two, as they drove a Ford F-150 extra cabin near km. 44.8, when a large landslide of rocks fell on the vehicle, as they drove towards Coamo municipality. | 2 | 2 | $142K | |
| 1997-01-21 | Debris FlowNaranjito Comerio, Camuy Municipio One person died Tuesday night and another lost his leg when a rock slid off a mountain and crashed into the pickup these persons were riving along highway 156 heading from Naranjito to Comerio in Puerto Rico. Although the area where this incident occurred was not affected by significant flooding, the terrain was ... | 1 | 1 | $9K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest landslide and avalanche records in Puerto Rico
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-12-25 | Debris FlowAguas Buenas Municipio and 8 more · forecast zone Eastern Interior | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2022-11-05 | Debris FlowSalinas Municipio | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | |
| 2007-10-25 | Debris FlowAibonito Municipio and 9 more · forecast zone Central Interior | 2 | 2 | $142K | |
| 2025-04-28 | Debris FlowCiales Municipio One storm episode: 16 records in 12 places, 2025-04-28 to 2025-04-30; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $137K | |
| 2025-04-19 | Debris FlowNaranjito Municipio One storm episode: 15 records in 9 places, 2025-04-19 to 2025-04-21; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $106K | |
| 2007-12-12 | Debris FlowBayamón Municipio and 6 more · forecast zone San Juan And Vicinity | 0 | 1 | $28K | |
| 2026-02-02 | Debris FlowAdjuntas Municipio | 0 | 0 | $15K | |
| 2026-04-27 | Debris FlowComerio, Comerío Municipio One storm episode: 7 records in 5 places, 2026-04-27 to 2026-04-28; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $11K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are landslide and avalanche 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.
| Decade | Puerto Rico | United States | Puerto Rico's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 3 | 98 | 3.1% |
| 2000s | 238 | 790 | 30.1% |
| 2010s | 100 | 1,304 | 7.7% |
| 2020-26 | 288 | 1,224 | 23.5% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent landslide and avalanche records in Puerto Rico
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-16 | Debris FlowAguadilla Municipio | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2026-04-28 | Debris FlowComerio, Comerío Municipio | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2026-04-28 | Debris FlowBarceloneta Municipio | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2026-04-28 | Debris FlowComerio, Comerío Municipio | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2026-04-28 | Debris FlowVega Baja Municipio | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2026-04-27 | Debris FlowNaranjito Municipio | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2026-04-27 | Debris FlowIsabela Municipio | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2026-04-27 | Debris FlowComerio, Comerío Municipio | 0 | 0 | $3K | |
| 2026-04-17 | Debris FlowSan Sebastian, San Sebastián Municipio | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2026-04-17 | Debris FlowMoca Municipio | 0 | 0 | $400 | |
| 2026-04-17 | Debris FlowPonce Municipio | 0 | 0 | $400 | |
| 2026-04-16 | Debris FlowPonce Municipio | 0 | 0 | $400 |
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.
Federal disaster declarations for landslide and avalanche records in Puerto Rico
FEMA has declared 11 disasters in Puerto Rico for landslide and avalanche, counting its incident type and declarations that name landslide or mudslide in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 11 were major disasters, the latest on July 23, 2024.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-23 | DR-4805 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 13 |
| 2022-03-29 | DR-4649 | Severe Storm, Flooding, and Landslides | 5 |
| 2011-07-14 | DR-4004 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides | 13 |
| 2010-10-26 | DR-1946 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides Assoc W Ts Otto | 21 |
| 2005-11-10 | DR-1613 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 17 |
| 2004-09-17 | DR-1552 | Tropical Storm Jeanne and Resulting Landslides and Mudslides | 78 |
| 2003-11-21 | DR-1501 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides | 31 |
| 2001-11-28 | DR-1396 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides and Landslides | 13 |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1372 | Severe Storms, Flooding and Mudslides | 15 |
| 1986-07-10 | DR-768 | Heavy Rains, Flooding & Mudslides | 31 |
| 1985-10-10 | DR-746 | Severe Storms, Flooding & Mudslides | 48 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
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