PlainHazard

Puerto Rico tornadoes

Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 15 counties with a record

Puerto Rico has recorded 33 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 1.2 a year since 2000, with 0 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The costliest was the July 27, 2019 tornado ($115,000 in 2025 dollars). Puerto Rico ranks 49th of 52 states and territories by count and 36th of 51 per square mile.

Tornadoes in Puerto Rico, 1950 to 2025

Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).

  • 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
  • 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
Tornadoes
331950 to 2025
A year since 2000
1.2average
Deaths
01 injuries
F3/EF3 or stronger
00% of tornadoes
Busiest year
19993 tornadoes

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.

Are tornadoes common in Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico averages about 1.2 tornadoes a year since 2000, 49th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 1999 (3). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Puerto Rico records 96 tornadoes since 1950, 36th of 51 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. Florida 701
  2. 2. Oklahoma 658
  3. 3. Mississippi 614
  4. 4. Louisiana 579
  5. 5. Illinois 567
  6. 6. Kansas 564
  7. 7. Iowa 555
  8. 8. Alabama 537
  9. 9. Indiana 492
  10. 10. Maryland 438
  11. 36. Puerto Rico 96

Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, 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 tornadoes?

Per square mile, Arecibo Municipio leads Puerto Rico: 2 days with a tornado record since 1950, 15.9 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Arecibo Municipio has the most tornado records (2 since 1950); 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. Arecibo Municipio 15.9 (2)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is tornado season in Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico's tornadoes by month. The busiest month is August (6 tornadoes).

The values, month by month

Jan 0 · Feb 1 · Mar 2 · Apr 0 · May 4 · Jun 5 · Jul 5 · Aug 6 · Sep 5 · Oct 4 · Nov 1 · Dec 0 (records).

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.

The strongest tornadoes in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: the highest-rated tornadoes, 1950-2025
DateCountiesRatingPath in stateWidthKilled
1974-08-30F12 mi50 yd0
1969-05-05F11.5 mi10 yd0
2023-07-16AguadaEF11.5 mi70 yd0
2022-05-01AreciboEF10.35 mi176 yd0
1962-06-07F10.1 mi10 yd0
2007-08-06EF01.28 mi2 yd0
1965-09-23F01 mi13 yd0
1969-10-07F01 mi13 yd0
2000-08-25AibonitoF01 mi10 yd0
2011-08-07MocaEF00.8 mi80 yd0

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.

The longest tornado paths in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: the longest paths inside the state, 1950-2025
DateTornado and countiesRatingPath in stateWidthKilled
1974-08-30F12 mi50 yd0
1969-05-05F11.5 mi10 yd0
2023-07-16AguadaEF11.5 mi70 yd0
2007-08-06EF01.28 mi2 yd0
1965-09-23F01 mi13 yd0
1969-10-07F01 mi13 yd0
2000-08-25AibonitoF01 mi10 yd0
2011-08-07MocaEF00.8 mi80 yd0
2016-11-18ManatíEF00.62 mi1,091 yd0
1999-07-20MayagüezF00.5 mi20 yd0

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.

Tornadoes in every Puerto Rico county

All 17 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Puerto Rico: tornadoes whose track touched each county since 1950, most first
CountyTornadoesStrongest
Añasco Municipio4F/EF0
Aguada Municipio2F/EF1
Aguadilla Municipio2F/EF0
Arecibo Municipio2F/EF1
Mayagüez Municipio2F/EF0
Aibonito Municipio1F/EF0
Bayamón Municipio1F/EF0
Ceiba Municipio1F/EF0
Guaynabo Municipio1F/EF0
Humacao Municipio1F/EF0
Lajas Municipio1F/EF0
Lares Municipio1F/EF0
Las Piedras Municipio1F/EF0
Manatí Municipio1F/EF0
Moca Municipio1F/EF0
San Juan Municipio1F/EF0
Trujillo Alto Municipio1F/EF0

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.

The costliest tornadoes in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: the most damaging tornadoes since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2019-07-27 TornadoLajas Municipio Public and local emergency managers reported a tornado touching down near Road PR-117 in Lajas. No fatalities nor injuries have been reported. However, damage to a plantain farm, poultry house and a house roof, as well as fallen electrical pole and a tree were reported with this event. Domestic animals from the ... EF0 0.5 mi x 1 yd 0 0 $115K
2011-08-07 TornadoMoca Municipio The National Weather Service conducted a storm damage survey that occured from route PR-125 to the southwest of town of Moca through Barrio Cruz to route PR-111 on the east side of town. After a damage survey and eyewitness accouts...the National Weather Service in San Juan Determined that a Tornado estimated at EF0 ... EF0 0.8 mi x 80 yd 0 0 $105K
2007-08-06 TornadoAnasco A tornado was reported at Barrio Playa in the Aasco municipality. Five telephone poles and one power pole were downed. Some tree branches were snapped. EF0 1.28 mi x 2 yd 0 0 $51K
2006-06-15 TornadoMayaguez Mayaguez City emergency managers reported a tornado touched down at the SAM's parking lot at the Western Plaza in Mayaguez. The funnel cloud originated inland near Cerro Las Mesas and traveled west towards Barrio El Mani. One tree was uprooted and one automobile was damaged. The winds tossed several shopping carts ... F0 0.5 mi x 3 yd 0 0 $44K
2023-08-09 TornadoAguadilla Municipio A weak tornado developed near Highway 2 in Aguadilla early in the afternoon of Wednesday, August 9, 2023. The brief tornado primarily impacted a structure, tearing off aluminum roofs from a garage and causing damage to vehicles in the affected area. Additionally, associated with this severe thunderstorm, strong gusty ... EF0 0.25 mi x 15 yd 0 0 $39K
2023-03-16 TornadoLas Piedras Municipio On March 16, a landspout developed over highway 30 and moved south-southeast at around 20 mph. On its path, the landspout affected the April Garden strip mall with winds of around 65 mph affecting local business signs, awnings, and a free-standing street light pole that fell due to the winds. Small tree branches were ... EF0 0.25 mi x 7 yd 0 0 $39K
2012-09-13 TornadoLares Municipio A brief F0 tornado was reported at Barrio Minas in the municipality of Lares. EF0 0.02 mi x 35 yd 0 0 $39K
2001-06-03 TornadoAnasco Emergency Managers indicated that a weak tornado affected a community in Anasco. Several houses had their roofs detached and their fences knocked down. In addition, a power company station exploded. F0 0.5 mi x 15 yd 0 0 $33K

Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 30, 1974 (tornado, Bayamón Municipio).

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

Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Tornadoes: Puerto Rico and the United States by decade
DecadePuerto RicoUnited StatesPuerto Rico's share
1950s14,8370.02%
1960s46,8630.06%
1970s28,6330.02%
1980s08,2500
1990s512,2050.04%
2000s912,8920.07%
2010s712,2320.06%
2020-2558,2340.06%

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.

The most recent tornadoes in Puerto Rico

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2024-05-02 TornadoArecibo Municipio EF0 0.48 mi x 4 yd 0 0 $7K
2023-08-09 TornadoAguadilla Municipio EF0 0.25 mi x 15 yd 0 0 $39K
2023-07-16 TornadoAguada Municipio EF1 1.5 mi x 70 yd 0 0 –
2023-03-16 TornadoLas Piedras Municipio EF0 0.25 mi x 7 yd 0 0 $39K
2022-05-01 TornadoArecibo Municipio EF1 0.35 mi x 176 yd 0 0 –
2019-09-30 TornadoBayamon, Bayamón Municipio EF0 0.1 mi x 5 yd 0 0 –
2019-07-27 TornadoLajas Municipio EF0 0.5 mi x 1 yd 0 0 $115K
2017-03-26 TornadoTrujillo Alto Municipio EF0 0.43 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2016-11-18 TornadoManati, Manatí Municipio EF0 0.62 mi x 1,091 yd 0 0 $12K
2013-10-01 TornadoAguada Municipio EF0 0.3 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $13K
2012-09-13 TornadoLares Municipio EF0 0.02 mi x 35 yd 0 0 $39K
2011-08-07 TornadoMoca Municipio EF0 0.8 mi x 80 yd 0 0 $105K

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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