Puerto Rico lightning
Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 35 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 60 lightning records in Puerto Rico from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 3.1 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the September 4, 2022 lightning in Salinas Municipio: 2 deaths and 3 injuries. Puerto Rico ranks 46th of 52 states and territories by count and 10th of 51 per square mile.
Lightning in Puerto Rico, 1996 to 2026
Lightning 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
- 601996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 3.1average
- Deaths
- 917 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $708Kas filed
- Busiest year
- 202514 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 lightning records common in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico averages about 3.1 lightning records a year since 2000, 46th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2025 (14). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Puerto Rico records 175 lightning records since 1996, 10th of 51 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 lightning records?
Per square mile, Utuado Municipio leads Puerto Rico: 1 days with a lightning record since 1996, 8.8 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Arecibo Municipio has the most lightning records (1 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 lightning season in Puerto Rico?
50% of its lightning records since 1996 fell in September and October. The busiest month is September (19 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 0 · Apr 0 · May 9 · Jun 5 · Jul 9 · Aug 6 · Sep 19 · Oct 11 · Nov 1 · Dec 0 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest lightning records in Puerto Rico?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-09-04 | LightningSalinas Municipio Lightning struck a jetski in Cayo Matias, just south of Salinas. There were two fatalities and a third person was taken to a hospital. A marine weather statement due to thunderstorms was in effect for nearby waters. | 2 | 3 | – | |
| 2001-09-26 | LightningCabo Rojo, Añasco Municipio A person was killed by lightning in Cabo Rojo. He was on the roof of a house preparing a concrete topping mixture. Another construction worker was affected by a side lobe. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2009-06-27 | LightningMoca Municipio A person was struck by lightning in Barrio Aceituna of Moca while trimming his home backyard during a thunderstorm. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-30 | LightningVillalba Municipio The 911 Call Center reported that at approximately 3:20 PM AST, a lightning strike impacted two individuals in a boat near the fishing club by the dam at Lago Toa Vaca. One individual was reported conscious with burns to the hands but breathing. The second individual, a 48 year old male, was thrown into the water by ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-09-05 | LightningJuana Diaz, Juana Díaz Municipio A 63-yr old fisherman died by a lightning strike. The man anchored his boat on the beach in Barrio Capitanejo at Juana Diaz, when a lightning struck on the water. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-05-11 | LightningArecibo, Aguadilla Municipio A 30 year old man died after being struck by lightning at Barrio Islote in the Arecibo municipality. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2001-09-22 | LightningAguadilla A person was killed by lightning while jogging at the old Ramey Base in Aguadilla. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-09-23 | LightningDorado, Aguadilla Municipio Lightning struck a person causing his death while he was working outdoors feeding shrimps in a shrimp farm. | 1 | 0 | – |
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 lightning records in Puerto Rico
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-10-15 | LightningSan Juan, Adjuntas Municipio | 0 | 0 | $481K | |
| 2025-05-04 | LightningCaguas Municipio | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-08-02 | LightningAibonito Municipio | 0 | 0 | $9K | |
| 2025-09-12 | LightningOrocovis Municipio | 0 | 0 | $8K | |
| 2025-07-27 | LightningSan Juan Municipio One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 3 | $5K | |
| 2025-05-20 | LightningHatillo Municipio | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2025-10-10 | LightningBayamon, Bayamón Municipio One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places, 2025-10-10 to 2025-10-11; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-10-18 | LightningNaranjito Municipio | 0 | 0 | $1K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are lightning 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 | 2 | 3,521 | 0.1% |
| 2000s | 15 | 8,052 | 0.2% |
| 2010s | 12 | 5,103 | 0.2% |
| 2020-26 | 31 | 1,544 | 2.0% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent lightning records in Puerto Rico
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-18 | LightningNaranjito Municipio | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-10-11 | LightningVega Baja Municipio | 0 | 0 | $200 | |
| 2025-10-10 | LightningBayamon, Bayamón Municipio | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-10-05 | LightningCarolina Municipio | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-10-05 | LightningCarolina Municipio | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-09-22 | LightningUtuado Municipio | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-09-12 | LightningOrocovis Municipio | 0 | 0 | $8K | |
| 2025-08-30 | LightningVillalba Municipio | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-16 | LightningAguada Municipio | 0 | 0 | $500 | |
| 2025-08-02 | LightningAibonito Municipio | 0 | 0 | $9K | |
| 2025-07-27 | LightningFajardo Municipio | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2025-07-27 | LightningSan Juan Municipio | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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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