Puerto Rico, 2020

Tropical Storm and Flash Flooding in Puerto Rico, August 22 to 23, 2020

August 22 to 23, 2020 · NWS SJU · 10 events in 6 counties and zones

Tropical Storm Laura affected the area on August 22nd. Sustained winds between 30-40 mph with higher gusts were common, however, some areas in southeast PR reported gust to near hurricane force.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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.

Tropical Storm Laura affected the area on August 22nd. Sustained winds between 30-40 mph with higher gusts were common, however, some areas in southeast PR reported gust to near hurricane force. Rainfall accumulations for the most part generally ranged between 1 and 4 inches, resulting in areas of flooding.

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 Aug 22, 9:46 AM AST, 5 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 22, 9:46 AM AST, 5 hours 12 minutes before
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The radar

The San Juan radar (TJUA), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 tropical storm, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Tropical Storm, Central Interior

When
August 22, 2:58 PM AST to August 23, 2:00 AM AST
Where
Central Interior forecast zone
Reported by
Public

Electrical pole fell on Road PR-138 near Jose M Espada Zayas School in Coamo. Road was partly obstructed.

Tropical Storm, San Juan and Vicinity

When
August 22, 2:58 PM AST to August 23, 2:00 AM AST
Where
San Juan and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by
Public

Fallen tree affected Road PR-853 KM 11.1 in Carolina. Road was impassable.

Tropical Storm, Southeast

When
August 22, 3:00 PM AST to August 23, 2:00 AM AST
Where
Southeast forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager

A house lost part of the zinc roof in Sector Las Mareas in Salinas.

Tropical Storm, Southeast

When
August 22, 3:00 PM AST to August 23, 2:00 AM AST
Where
Southeast forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager

A fallen tree was reported on Road PR-3 in Salinas. This caused power lines to fall on the road as well.

Tropical Storm, Southeast

When
August 22, 3:00 PM AST to August 23, 2:00 AM AST
Where
Southeast forecast zone
Injuries
0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
Emergency Manager

A man fell trying to hold his zinc roof in sector Coqui in Salinas. The man's condition was stable.

Tropical Storm, Southeast

When
August 22, 3:00 PM AST to August 23, 2:00 AM AST
Where
Southeast forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager

Power lines were reported down in Parcelas Vazquez and Road PR-1 in Salinas.

Tropical Storm, Ponce and Vicinity

When
August 22, 4:30 PM AST to August 23, 2:00 AM AST
Where
Ponce and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager

Power lines were reported down in Sector Paso Seco, Street 8, in Santa Isable due to a fallen tree.

Tropical Storm, Southeast

When
August 22, 4:36 PM AST to August 23, 2:00 AM AST
Where
Southeast forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager

Two houses, one in Sector Las Mareas and the second one in Sector Coqui, lost the roof due to strong winds.

Flash Flood, Naguabo

When
August 22, 5:00 PM AST to 10:00 PM AST
Where
Naguabo County, 3.44 mi W of Naguabo to 2.77 mi W of Naguabo
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
18.216, -65.782

Road PR-31, exit 22 in the Expreso Jose Celso Barbosa was flooded due to Rio Blanco going out of its banks.

Flash Flood, Ciales

When
August 22, 5:30 PM AST to 9:00 PM AST
Where
Ciales County, 1.98 mi SE of Ciales to 1.5 mi SSE of Ciales
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
18.259, -66.500

Two people were trapped along Charco el Moron in Ciales due to a water surge. Between 2 and 5 inches of rain fell across the area according to doppler radar estimates. In addition, Road PR-615 KM 7 in Barrio Toro Negro was reported flooded.

What these are

Tropical Storm
A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph).
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 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Puerto Rico, August 2020The 2020 hurricane season

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 917900, 917901, 917902, 917903, 917904, 917905, 917906, 917907, 917908, 917909.