Flooding in Puerto Rico, May 17, 2005

Name: Flooding in Puerto Rico, May 17, 2005
Start: 2005-05-17T21:13
End: 2005-05-17T23:00
Location: Puerto Rico

May 17, 2005 · NWS SJU · 2 events in 1 county or zone

2 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 17, 3:25 PM AST, 5 hours 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 3:25 PM AST, 5 hours 48 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
335PM AST TUE MAY 17 2005

.DISCUSSION...AFTER A QUIET MORNING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS
DEVELOPED ALONG THE SOUTHERN COAST OF PUERTO RICO AND THEN THEY
SPREAD OUT TO THE INTERIOR AND NORTHERN SECTIONS OF PUERTO RICO. THE
USVI ALSO WERE AFFECTED BY SCATTERED SHOWERS DURING THE EARLY
AFTERNOON HOURS. ALL THESE SHOWERS HAVE CONTRIBUTE ON THE
SATURATIONS OF SOILS ACROSS PUERTO RICO AND THE USVI.

TONIGHT...NUMEROUS TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE WILL
CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE INTERIOR AND NORTHERN SECTIONS OF PUERTO RICO
THROUGH LATE EVENING. SATELLITE IMAGERIES ARE SHOWING A GAP MOVING
OVER OUR LOCAL AREA THEREFORE WE SHOULD GET A RAIN BREAK THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS. EARLY IN THE MORNING WE SHOULD ONCE AGAIN
EXPERIENCE SHOWERS AFFECTING FIRST THE SOUTH HALF OF PUERTO RICO AND
AS THE DAY PROGRESS THEY WILL START TO AFFECT THE INTERIOR AN D
NORTHERN SECTIONS OF PR.

EXPECT SIMILAR WEATHER TO CONTINUE THE NEXT FEW DAYS...WITH MORE
STRATIFORM RAIN FALLING INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN FOLLOWED BY 6 TO 12
HOUR PERIODS OF MORE CONVECTIVELY DRIVEN SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY TO TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AT TIMES.
GIVEN ANTECEDENT GROUND AND RIVER CONDITIONS AND ALL OF THE
FAVORABLE METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS COMBINING...EXPECT A
CONTINUATION OF A HIGH FLASH FLOOD AND MUDSLIDES POTENTIAL...WITH
EACH BURST OF SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY PROBABLY RESULTING IN
MORE PROBLEMS THAN THE ONE BEFORE. ALL LOCAL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS
SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE WEATHER DURING THE NEXT FEW
DAYS.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED SOUTH OF THE MONA
PASSAGE THIS AFTERNOON...WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE EASTERN
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND PUERTO RICO LATER TONIGHT...AND THEN
INTENSIFY AND MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE OFF SHORE ATLANTIC
WATERS THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

&&

.MARINE...MARINERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION AND ARE URGED TO REMAIN
ALERT FOR HAZARDOUS MARINE CONDITIONS THAT WILL OCCUR
OCCASIONALLY...AS CLUSTERS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO
AFFECT THE REGIONAL WATERS FROM TIME TO TIME.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE LOCAL ISLANDS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL OCCUR IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH AND
RIVER FLOODING. ALSO...MUDSLIDES ARE POSSIBLE OVER AREAS OF STEEP
TERRAIN.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SJU  75  82  75  85 /  50  70  70  70
STT  75  81  77  82 /  50  50  70  70

&&

.SJU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
.PR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 2 AM TUESDAY UNTIL 8 PM TUESDAY FOR
      PRZ001...PRZ002...PRZ003...PRZ004...PRZ005...PRZ006...
      PRZ007...PRZ008...PRZ009...PRZ010...PRZ011...PRZ012...
      PRZ013.
.VI...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 2 AM TUESDAY UNTIL 8 PM TUESDAY FOR
      VIZ001...VIZ002.

&&

10

Hazardous weather outlook, May 17, 6:00 AM AST, 15 hours 13 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
600 AM AST TUE MAY 17 2005

PRZ001>013-AMZ710>750-181000-
600 AM AST TUE MAY 17 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PUERTO RICO.

.TODAY AND TONIGHT...SEVERAL WEATHER FACTORS WILL COMBINE TO KEEP
THE LOCAL AREA IN A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT. WIDESPREAD
SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE
LOCAL ISLANDS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL OCCUR IN SEVERAL
LOCATIONS...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH AND RIVER FLOODING.
ALSO...MUDSLIDES ARE POSSIBLE OVER AREAS OF STEEP TERRAIN.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ATLANTIC OFF SHORE
WATERS. ELSEWHERE MARINERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION AND ARE URGED TO
REMAIN ALERT FOR HAZARDOUS MARINE CONDITIONS THAT WILL OCCUR
OCCASIONALLY...AS CLUSTERS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO
AFFECT THE REGIONAL WATERS.

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

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
A VERY WET WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE LOCAL ISLANDS
DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. MORE ACTIVE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE AT LEAST THROUGH THURSDAY...IN RESPONSE TO A BROAD AREA OF
LOW PRESSURE LOCATED SOUTH OF THE MONA PASSAGE EARLY THIS MORNING
THAT WILL MOVE NORTH ACROSS THE EASTERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND
PUERTO RICO TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT...AND THEN INTENSIFY AND MOVE
SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE OFF SHORE ATLANTIC WATERS WEDNESDAY
THROUGH THURSDAY. THIS IS EXPECTED TO PULL ABUNDANT TROPICAL
MOISTURE ACROSS MOST OF THE LOCAL AREA FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF
HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL. THE FLASH FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES POTENTIAL
WILL REMAIN HIGH DURING THIS PERIOD.

VIZ001-002-AMZ710>730-181000-
600 AM AST TUE MAY 17 2005

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

.TODAY AND TONIGHT...SEVERAL WEATHER FACTORS WILL COMBINE TO KEEP
THE LOCAL AREA IN A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT. SCATTERED
TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE
ACROSS THE LOCAL ISLANDS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND SOME URBAN
AND GUT FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE IN A FEW LOCATIONS.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ATLANTIC OFF SHORE
WATERS. ELSEWHERE MARINERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION AND ARE URGED TO
REMAIN ALERT FOR HAZARDOUS MARINE CONDITIONS THAT WILL OCCUR
OCCASIONALLY...AS CLUSTERS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO
AFFECT THE REGIONAL WATERS.

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

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
A VERY WET WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE LOCAL ISLANDS
DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. MORE ACTIVE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE AT LEAST THROUGH THURSDAY...IN RESPONSE TO A BROAD AREA OF
LOW PRESSURE LOCATED SOUTH OF THE MONA PASSAGE EARLY THIS MORNING
THAT WILL MOVE NORTH ACROSS THE EASTERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND
PUERTO RICO TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT...AND THEN INTENSIFY AND MOVE
SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE OFF SHORE ATLANTIC WATERS WEDNESDAY
THROUGH THURSDAY. THIS IS EXPECTED TO PULL ABUNDANT TROPICAL
MOISTURE ACROSS MOST OF THE LOCAL AREA FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF
HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL. THE FLASH FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES POTENTIAL
WILL REMAIN HIGH DURING THIS PERIOD.

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.

Event by event

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, North Central

When: May 17, 9:13 PM AST to 11:00 PM AST
Where: North Central forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

River Cibuco out of its banks flooding roads 620 and 647. Roads 676 flooded at the intersection with road 675.

Flood, North Central

When: May 17, 9:14 PM AST to 11:00 PM AST
Where: North Central forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

River Rio Grande de Manati was reported out of its banks at the Cachete sector in the municipality of Manati. Roads 666 and 667 were reported flooded.

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 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Puerto Rico, May 2005

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: 5451804, 5451805.