Large long period northerly swells invaded the coastal waters and created |rough marine conditions, high surf, rip currents and coastal floods from the afternoon of Wednesday March 25th through the weekend.
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.
The episode as NWS SJU wrote it up.
Large long period northerly swells invaded the coastal waters and created |rough marine conditions, high surf, rip currents and coastal floods from the afternoon of Wednesday March 25th through the weekend.
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 Mar 25, 9:30 AM AST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR 930 AM AST WED MAR 25 2009 .UPDATE...INCREASED POPS AND WEATHER ACROSS THE NORTH COAST AND ATLC WATERS TODAY AS SHEAR LINE/FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO THE NORTH IS STRONGER THAN MODELS HAVE FORECAST. IN FACT...MAY EVEN BE A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO OVER THE NERN CORNER OF LOCAL ATLC WATERS. THESE SHOWERS WILL MOVE SOUTH DURING THE DAY...PRIMARILY INCREASING CLOUD COVER AND SHOWER ACTIVITY OVER NORTHERN PUERTO RICO...AND PERHAPS A SHOWER OR TWO OVER SWRN PR LATE THIS AFTERNOON. BUOY 41403 ALSO SHOWING 20 KNOTS OF WIND NORTH OF THE LOCAL AREA...THESE WINDS WILL OVERSPREAD THE NORTHERN ISLANDS AND NORTHERN WATERS TODAY AND TONIGHT. && .AVIATION...BRIEF MVFR CONDITIONS IN SHOWER ACTIVITY LIKELY 14Z THROUGH 18Z OVER TIST...TJSJ AND MAYBE EVEN TJBQ. BY LATE AFTERNOON MAY SEE SAME CONDITIONS WITH A SHOWER NEAR TJPS...BY ABOUT 20Z. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 525 AM AST WED MAR 25 2009/ DISCUSSION... THE MODERATE TRADE WIND FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHEAST CARIBBEAN WILL BRING SMALL PATCHES OF SHALLOW LOW LEVEL CLOUDS ACROSS THE LOCAL ISLANDS AND SURROUNDING WATERS TODAY...AND THROUGH MUCH OF THE WORK WEEK...AS FAIRLY STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE WEST ATLANTIC WILL DOMINATE THE LOCAL WEATHER PATTERN. WEAKENING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN...AND AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ACROSS THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN WILL MAINTAIN A SOUTHWEST WIND FLOW ACROSS THE LOCAL REGION TODAY...WHICH WILL TRANSPORT PATCHES OF MID TO HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION FROM TIME TO TIME. EXPECT LITTLE CHANGE OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO WITH MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER SKIES AND ISOLATED SHOWERS ACROSS THE LOCAL ISLANDS... AS A RELATIVELY DRY AIRMASS WILL DOMINATE THE LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS. LATEST GFS MODEL GUIDANCE WHICH HAS SO FAR INITIALIZED FAIRLY WELL SUGGESTS THAT LATER THIS EVENING AND INTO THURSDAY MORNING...THE PREVAILING NORTHEAST TRADES WILL BRING AN AREA OF LOW TO MID LEVEL MOISTURE FROM AN OLD FRONTAL/SHEAR LINE NORTH OF THE LOCAL AREA ACROSS THE REGION. THIS IN TURN MAY INCREASE THE CHANCES FOR SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY MAINLY ALONG THE NORTH COASTAL AREAS OF PUERTO RICO AND NORTHERN U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS DURING THE EVENING AND EARLY MORNING HOURS. OVERALL...EXPECT MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER SKIES TO PREVAIL DURING THE DAYTIME FOR MUCH OF THE WORK WEEK...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF MAINLY ISOLATED SHOWERS ACROSS PARTS OF THE INTERIOR SECTIONS OF PUERTO RICO DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS...AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE ESTABLISHES ITSELF ACROSS THE WEST ATLANTIC AND NORTH OF THE LOCAL AREA...AND DRY AND SUBSIDENT MID TO UPPER LEVEL ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS PREVAIL. THE MAIN FOCUS FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE INCREASINGLY ROUGH AND HAZARDOUS SEA CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS THE LOCAL ATLANTIC WATERS AND CARIBBEAN PASSAGES DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK...AS LARGE LONG PERIOD SWELL GENERATED FROM A DEVELOPING GALE CENTER MOVING ACROSS THE WEST ATLANTIC...INVADES THE REGIONAL WATERS. THIS WILL GREATLY INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR THE NORTH FACING COASTLINES OF THE LOCAL ISLANDS AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF MINOR COASTAL EROSION ESPECIALLY DURING HIGH TIDE. LOCAL RESIDENTS/BOATERS AND VISITORS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE LOCAL MARINE FORECAST CONDITIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEK DUE TO THE DETERIORATING SEAS. AVIATION... EXPECT PREVAILING VFR CONDITIONS ACROSS THE LOCAL ISLANDS AND AT ALL LOCAL TAF SITES TODAY AND TONIGHT. HOWEVER... BRIEF MVFR CONDITIONS AND LOCAL MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN PASSING SHRA. IN ADDITION...SURFACE WINDS GUSTS TO NEAR 25 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE. MARINE... A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN ATLANTIC WILL BRING INCREASING LONG PERIOD NORTHERLY SWELL ACROSS THE LOCAL ATLANTIC WATERS AND CARIBBEAN PASSAGES BY THIS AFTERNOON. THESE SWELLS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS BY THURSDAY...PEAKING FRIDAY AFTERNOON. DUE TO INCREASING SEAS THROUGH FRIDAY...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE LOCAL ATLANTIC WATERS AND CARIBBEAN PASSAGES THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY CONTINUE INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SJU 83 71 83 72 / 50 50 20 20 STT 82 71 82 71 / 40 50 20 20 && .SJU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PR...NONE. VI...NONE. && 93/64/
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR 601 AM AST WED MAR 25 2009 AMZ710>745-PRZ001>013-261000- SAN JUAN AND VICINITY-NORTHEAST-SOUTHEAST-EASTERN INTERIOR- NORTH CENTRAL-CENTRAL INTERIOR-PONCE AND VICINITY-NORTHWEST- WESTERN INTERIOR-MAYAGUEZ AND VICINITY-SOUTHWEST-CULEBRA-VIEQUES- THE NEARSHORE AND OFF SHORE ATLANTIC AND CARIBBEAN COASTAL WATERS- 601 AM AST WED MAR 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT LINGERING NORTH SWELLS WILL COMBINE WITH MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WINDS THROUGH AT LEAST TONIGHT...TO MAKE FOR DANGEROUS MARINE CONDITIONS...WITH LOCALLY HAZARDOUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS LIKELY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF THE LOCAL ATLANTIC AND CARIBBEAN WATERS FOR TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ROUGH AND HAZARDOUS SEA CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS ACROSS MOST OF THE LOCAL COASTAL WATERS...AS NEW...LARGE...LONG PERIOD NORTHERLY SWELLS BEGIN TO BUILD ACROSS THE LOCAL ATLANTIC WATERS AND THE CARIBBEAN PASSAGES THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...PEAK ON FRIDAY AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST SATURDAY. DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS AND RIP CURRENTS WILL DEVELOP...WITH HIGH SURF ADVISORIES LIKELY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ANY REPORTS OF DANGEROUS SURF WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. AMZ715-725-VIZ001-002-261000- ST. THOMAS ST. JOHN ADJACENT ISLANDS-ST CROIX- NEARSHORE ATLANTIC AND ADJACENT CARIBBEAN COASTAL WATERS- 601 AM AST WED MAR 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT LINGERING NORTH SWELLS WILL COMBINE WITH MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WINDS THROUGH AT LEAST TONIGHT...TO MAKE FOR DANGEROUS MARINE CONDITIONS...WITH LOCALLY HAZARDOUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS LIKELY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF THE LOCAL ATLANTIC AND CARIBBEAN WATERS FOR TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ROUGH AND HAZARDOUS SEA CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS ACROSS MOST OF THE LOCAL COASTAL WATERS...AS NEW...LARGE...LONG PERIOD NORTHERLY SWELLS BEGIN TO BUILD ACROSS THE LOCAL ATLANTIC WATERS AND THE CARIBBEAN PASSAGES THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...PEAK ON FRIDAY AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST SATURDAY. DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS AND RIP CURRENTS WILL DEVELOP...WITH HIGH SURF ADVISORIES LIKELY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ANY REPORTS OF DANGEROUS SURF WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
1 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High surf overturned a thirty-one foot fishing boat off the coast of Puerto Rico around 11 a.m., Atlantic Standard Time, Friday, March 27, killing one man. The boat was returning from a deep sea fishing trip, and capsized near the Isla Verde beach in Carolina City.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Puerto Rico in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Puerto Rico, March 2009
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: 152123.