Flooding in Puerto Rico, November 10 to 15, 2003

Name: Flooding in Puerto Rico, November 10 to 15, 2003
Start: 2003-11-10T00:00
End: 2003-11-15T23:59
Location: Puerto Rico

November 10 to 15, 2003 · NWS SJU · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Heavy rains affected Puerto Rico during the week of November 10-15, leading to widespread flash flooding, and numerous mud, land and rock slides. On November 10, an active tropical wave approached Puerto Rico and interacted with a mid upper level trough that advanced from the Bahamas into eastern Hispaniola.

The toll

Deaths: 2
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $10 million
Crop damage: $31 million
Events: 13

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.

Heavy rains affected Puerto Rico during the week of November 10-15, leading to widespread flash flooding, and numerous mud, land and rock slides. A total of 19 municipalities were declared a federal disaster area with total damages estimated at around 45 million.On November 10, an active tropical wave approached Puerto Rico and interacted with a mid upper level trough that advanced from the Bahamas into eastern Hispaniola. By Tuesday November 11, the wave evolved into a broad low pressure area over the Caribbean Sea southwest of Puerto Rico. The interaction of both systems produced continuous heavy rains resulting in generalized floods across the island. The heaviest rains affected Puerto Rico through Friday November 14. Rainfall amounts varied from 15 to 20 inches, although the eastern municipality of Naguabo received 22.70 inches. Rainfall values for ceratin areas of Puerto Rico exceeded the 50 year return period, and for other s the 25 year return period. The municipalities of Arroyo, Cabo Rojo, Canovanas, Fajardo, Guanica, Guayama, Juana Diaz, Loiza, Luquillo, Maunabo, Naguabo, Patillas, Rio Grande, Salinas, Santa Isabel, Toa Baja, Yabucoa and Yauco were declared a federal disaster. Infra-structure and personal losses were estimated at 10 million. Agricultural losses accounted for 31 million, with total damages around 45 million. There were two deaths, both by drowning in the municipalities of Ciales and Aibonito. There was another rainy period that followed this event from November 16-18. Rainfall received varied from 8-10 inches in the area of Naguabo to 4 to 6 inches in other locations of east and central Puerto Rico.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS San Juan, PR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 9, 11:30 PM AST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 9, 11:30 PM AST, 30 minutes before

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Event by event

13 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Central Interior

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Central Interior forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, Culebra

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Culebra forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, Eastern Interior

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Eastern Interior forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, Mayaguez and Vicinity

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Mayaguez and Vicinity forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, North Central

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: North Central forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, Northeast

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Northeast forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, Northwest

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Northwest forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, Ponce and Vicinity

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Ponce and Vicinity forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, San Juan and Vicinity

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: San Juan and Vicinity forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, Southeast

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Southeast forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, Southwest

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Southwest forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, Vieques

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Vieques forecast zone
Crop damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood, Western Interior

When: November 10, 12:00 AM AST to November 15, 11:59 PM AST
Where: Western Interior forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Flood, Central Interior	2003-11-13	30	Male	In Water	Direct
Flood, Eastern Interior	2003-11-13	72	Male	In Water	Direct

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Puerto Rico in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Puerto Rico, November 2003

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: 5336060, 5336061, 5336062, 5336063, 5336064, 5336065, 5336066, 5336067, 5336068, 5336069, 5336070, 5336071, 5336172.