Drought in Puerto Rico, December 1 to 31, 1997

Name: Drought in Puerto Rico, December 1 to 31, 1997
Start: 1997-12-01T00:00
End: 1997-12-31T00:00
Location: Puerto Rico

December 1 to 31, 1997 · NWS SJU · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

December was a very dry month. 02 inches of rain were recorded at San Juan making this the second driest December on record.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS SJU wrote it up.

December was a very dry month. Only 1.02 inches of rain were recorded at San Juan making this the second driest December on record. New record high temperatures for the day in San Juan were established on the 2nd, 15th, and 30th. Island wide the rainfall average was 1.24 inches. This represent three inches below normal and the lowest rainfall average for the month of December since 1963. The major weather system responsible for this dry and warm weather was a nearly stationary high pressure system that prevented the arrival of cold fronts to our area.

Event by event

7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Aguadilla/Moca/Aguada/Rincon/Anasco/Mayaguez/Ormigueros/Cabo Rojo

When: December 1, 12:00 AM AST to December 31, 12:00 AM AST
Where: Aguadilla/Moca/Aguada/Rincon/Anasco/Mayaguez/Ormigueros/Cabo Rojo forecast zone

Drought, Fajardo/Ceiba/Naguabo/Humacao/Yabucoa/Culebra/Vieques

When: December 1, 12:00 AM AST to December 31, 12:00 AM AST
Where: Fajardo/Ceiba/Naguabo/Humacao/Yabucoa/Culebra/Vieques forecast zone

Drought, Isabela/Quebradillas/Camuy/Matillo/Arecibo/Barceloneta/Florida/Manati/Vega Baja/Vega/Alta/Corado/Toa Baja/Catano/Toa Alta/Bayamon/Guayanabo/San Juan/Trujillo Alto/Carolina/Loiza/Rio Grande/Luqillo/Can

When: December 1, 12:00 AM AST to December 31, 12:00 AM AST
Where: Isabela/Quebradillas/Camuy/Matillo/Arecibo/Barceloneta/Florida/Manati/Vega Baja/Vega/Alta/Corado/Toa Baja/Catano/Toa Alta/Bayamon/Guayanabo/San Juan/Trujillo Alto/Carolina/Loiza/Rio Grande/Luqillo/Can forecast zone

Drought, Lajas/San German/Sabana Grande/Yauco/Guayanilla/Penuelas/Ponce/Juana Diaz/Santa Isabel/Salinas/Guayama/Arroyo/Patillas/Maunabo/Guanica

When: December 1, 12:00 AM AST to December 31, 12:00 AM AST
Where: Lajas/San German/Sabana Grande/Yauco/Guayanilla/Penuelas/Ponce/Juana Diaz/Santa Isabel/Salinas/Guayama/Arroyo/Patillas/Maunabo/Guanica forecast zone

Drought, San Sebastian/Lares/Las Marias/Maricao/Adjuntas/Jayuya/Ciales/Morovis/Corozal/Barranquitas/Comerio/Aguas Buenas/Cidra/Caguas/Gurabo/San Lorenzo/Juncos/Las Piedras/Villalba/Coamo/Albonita/Cayey/Naranji

When: December 1, 12:00 AM AST to December 31, 12:00 AM AST
Where: San Sebastian/Lares/Las Marias/Maricao/Adjuntas/Jayuya/Ciales/Morovis/Corozal/Barranquitas/Comerio/Aguas Buenas/Cidra/Caguas/Gurabo/San Lorenzo/Juncos/Las Piedras/Villalba/Coamo/Albonita/Cayey/Naranji forecast zone

Drought, St. Croix

When: December 1, 12:00 AM AST to December 31, 12:00 AM AST
Where: St. Croix forecast zone

Drought, St. Thomas/St. John

When: December 1, 12:00 AM AST to December 31, 12:00 AM AST
Where: St. Thomas/St. John forecast zone

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Puerto Rico in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Puerto Rico, December 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5623748, 5623749, 5623750, 5623770, 5623771, 5623772, 5623773.