Flood in Puerto Rico, May 9, 2004

Name: Flood in Puerto Rico, May 9, 2004
Start: 2004-05-09T02:25
End: 2004-05-09T02:25
Location: Puerto Rico

May 9, 2004 · NWS SJU · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 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 May 8, 8:47 PM AST, 5 hours 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 8, 8:47 PM AST, 5 hours 38 minutes before

PUERTO RICO AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
847 PM AST SAT MAY 8 2004

.UPDATE...
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ACROSS
THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN INTERIOR SECTIONS OF PUERTO RICO THIS
AFTERNOON. THIS RAINFALL ACTIVITY DIMINISHED IN INTENSITY BY EARLY
EVENING. HOWEVER...WATER LEVELS OF SOME RIVERS WERE ABOVE FLOOD
STAGE. THESE RIVERS WERE...RIO TANAMA IN ARECIBO...RIO LIMON IN
UTUADO...RIO YUNES IN UTUADO...RIO GUAJATACA IN LARES...AND OTHER
TRIBUTARIES.

THIS AFTERNOON RAINFALL ACTIVITY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RELATIVELY
UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE LEFT BY THE REMNANTS OF A FRONTAL BOUNDARY
ACROSS THE ADJACENT ATLANTIC...HIGH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...DIURNAL
HEATING...OROGRAPHIC AND SEA BREEZE EFFECTS.

UPDATED WEATHER GRIDS FOR WEATHER TO REDUCE RAINFALL ACTIVITY ACROSS
THE WESTERN HALF OF PUERTO RICO...AND FORECAST SIMILAR HEAVY RAIN
AND FLOODING CONDITIONS FOR TOMORROW SUNDAY AFTERNOON. /ROCHE

.245 PM DISCUSSION...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOP OVER
THE INTERIOR SECTIONS OF PUERTO RICO AND DUE TO LIGHT WINDS...THESE
SHOWERS ARE SLOWLY  SPREADING TO THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN COASTAL
SECTIONS OF PUERTO RICO. THE USGS RAIN GAUGES ARE ONLY SHOWING
RAINFALL ACCUMULATION OF LESS THAN INCH. THESE ARE EXPECTED TO
LINGER THROUGH SUNSET. WINDS HAD BEEN MAINLY DRIVEN BY SEA BREEZE
ENHANCING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS OVER THE INTERIOR SECTIONS.

ALL MODELS ARE SUGGESTING A GRADUAL DECREASE ON MOISTURE THROUGH AT
LEAST MONDAY NIGHT. THEREFORE WE SHOULD EXPECT MORE ISOLATED SHOWER
AS WE GET CLOSER TO MONDAY NIGHT. THESE IS ASSOCIATED TO THE
BUILDING OF A HIGH PRESSURE OVER OUR LOCAL REGION. THESE WILL ALSO
PRODUCE AN INCREASE ON WINDS TONIGHT AND ON SUNDAY.

LOOKING AHEAD...GFS HAD BEEN PORTRAYING A RATHER UNSETTLED SPELL OF
WEATHER FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK...BUT HAS BACKED OFF A BIT ON THIS
IDEA...WITH THE DEEPEST MOISTURE REMAINING MAINLY NORTH AND SOUTH OF
THE FA THROUGH WEDNESDAY. STAY TUNED.

&&

.MARINE...A MODERATE TO FRESH WILL OCCUR TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
SEAS MOSTLY 6 FEET OR LESS THROUGH THE PERIOD. NORTH NORTHWEST
SWELLS WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE ATLANTIC WATERS AND ALL CARIBBEAN
PASSAGES THIS EVENING AND THEN BECOME NORTH AND EVENTUALLY NORTH
NORTHEAST AND LINGER THROUGH AT LEAST SUNDAY NIGHT OR MONDAY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SJU  84  73  84  73 /  40  50  40  50
STT  84  73  84  73 /  40  40  40  40

&&

.SJU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PR...NONE.
VI...NONE.

&&

10

Hazardous weather outlook, May 8, 6:11 AM AST, 20 hours 14 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
611 AM AST SAT MAY 8 2004

PRZ001>013-AMZ710>750-091000-
611 AM AST SAT MAY 8 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PUERTO RICO.

.TODAY...MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF A COLD FRONTAL
BOUNDARY...WILL COMBINE WITH THE LOCAL EFFECTS TO PRODUCE SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY ACROSS THE INTERIOR AND
WEST PART OF PUERTO RICO DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. A FEW LOCATIONS
WILL AGAIN RECEIVE ENOUGH RAINFALL TO RESULT IN SOME URBAN AND SMALL
STREAM FLOODING...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED FLASH OR RIVER
FLOODING.

MARINE CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE SLIGHTLY THIS AFTERNOON...AS
NORTH NORTHWEST SWELLS BEGIN TO AFFECT THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS
AND ALL CARIBBEAN PASSAGES.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. ASSOCIATED
RAINFALL COULD RESULT IN AT LEAST SOME URBAN AND SMALL STREAM
FLOODING.

A MODERATE TO FRESH WIND FLOW AND CHOPPY SEAS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS
THE LOCAL WATERS UNTIL TUESDAY.

VIZ001-002-AMZ710>730-091000-
611 AM AST SAT MAY 8 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS.

.TODAY...SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL OCCUR ACROSS MOST OF THE ISLANDS
TODAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED.

MARINE CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE SLIGHTLY THIS AFTERNOON...AS
NORTH NORTHWEST SWELLS BEGIN TO AFFECT THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS
AND ALL CARIBBEAN PASSAGES.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED.

A MODERATE TO FRESH WIND FLOW AND CHOPPY SEAS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS
THE LOCAL WATERS UNTIL TUESDAY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB
SITE FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AT (ALL LOWERCASE
LETTERS): HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SJU.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 9, 12:32 AM AST, 1 hour 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
1232 AM AST SUN MAY 09 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1226 AM     HEAVY RAIN       JAYUYA                  18.22N 66.60W
05/08/2004  0.00 INCH        JAYUYA             PR   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HEAVAY RAIN WAS REPORTED IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF JAYUYA
            AND UTUADO SINCE 2 PM.

&&
A huge mudslide was reported in Jayuya along road 141.

RM

Local storm report, May 9, 12:34 AM AST, 1 hour 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
1234 AM AST SUN MAY 09 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1226 AM     HEAVY RAIN       UTUADO                  18.27N 66.71W
05/08/2004  0.00 INCH        UTUADO             PR   EMERGENCY MNGR

            WATER LEVEL FOUR FEET OVER SPILLWAY AT DOS BOCAS LAKE.

&&

RM

Local storm report, May 9, 12:36 AM AST, 1 hour 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
1236 AM AST SUN MAY 09 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0900 PM     FLASH FLOOD      ARECIBO                 18.46N 66.74W
05/08/2004                   ARECIBO            PR   EMERGENCY MNGR

            RIVER TANAMA WAS REPORTED OVERTOPPING LOW BRIDGES IN
            ARECIBO.

&&

RM

Local storm report, May 9, 12:38 AM AST, 1 hour 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
1238 AM AST SUN MAY 09 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0940 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MANATI                  18.43N 66.48W
05/08/2004                   MANATI             PR   AIRPLANE PILOT

            RIVER RIO GRANDE OF MANATI WAS REPORTED OUT OF ITS BANKS
            AT THE CACHETE SECTOR AND FLOODING A LARGE BUT
            UNPOPULATED AREA.

&&

RM

Local storm report, May 9, 12:38 AM AST, 1 hour 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
1238 AM AST SUN MAY 09 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0940 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MANATI                  18.43N 66.48W
05/08/2004                   MANATI             PR   EMERGENCY MNGR

            RIVER RIO GRANDE OF MANATI WAS REPORTED OUT OF ITS BANKS
            AT THE CACHETE SECTOR AND FLOODING A LARGE BUT
            UNPOPULATED AREA.

&&

RM

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, North Central

When: May 9, 2:25 AM AST
Where: North Central forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

River Rio Grande de Manati was reported flooding roads 666 and 667 in the municipality of Manati.

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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Puerto Rico, May 2004

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: 5398706.