Puerto Rico, 2009

Flash Flood in Puerto Rico, November 27, 2009

November 27, 2009 · NWS SJU · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The combination of sea breeze convergence, intense heating, orographic lifting and upper level jet dynamics allowed for localized slow moving intense thunderstorm cells over Hatillo and Arecibo during the early evening. Localized but heavy very rainfall produced flash flooding.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$150,000
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 happened

The episode as NWS SJU wrote it up.

The combination of sea breeze convergence, intense heating, orographic lifting and upper level jet dynamics allowed for localized slow moving intense thunderstorm cells over Hatillo and Arecibo during the early evening. Localized but heavy very rainfall produced flash flooding. Doppler radar estimated rainfall amounts of 6-8 inches for the 24 hour period ending at midnight. The nearest USGS rain gauge at Rio Camuy near Bayaney recorded 3.21 inches from 1635-2100 AST.

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 27, 2:52 PM AST, 4 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 27, 2:52 PM AST, 4 hours 8 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 27, 4:43 AM AST, 14 hours 17 minutes before
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The radar

The San Juan radar (TJUA), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Hatillo

When
November 27, 7:00 PM AST to 9:00 PM AST
Where
Hatillo County, 0.96 mi NNE of Hatillo to 0.53 mi NE of Hatillo
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$150,000
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
18.432, -66.793

Intense rainfall led to serious but localized urban flooding at Parcelas Roberto Clemente II, located between the Pajuil and Campo Alegre neighborhoods of Hatillo. Around 28 families sustained major property damage as mud laden runoff waters flooded their homes.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Puerto Rico in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Puerto Rico, November 2009

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 203299.