Flooding in Puerto Rico, January 24, 2020

Name: Flooding in Puerto Rico, January 24, 2020
Start: 2020-01-24T21:00
End: 2020-01-24T22:45
Location: Puerto Rico

January 24, 2020 · NWS SJU · 3 events in 1 county or zone

Lingering low-level moisture from a cold front and very light steering winds lead to the generation of slow-moving showers across portions of southern Puerto Rico during the evening hours.

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: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

Lingering low-level moisture from a cold front and very light steering winds lead to the generation of slow-moving showers across portions of southern Puerto Rico during the evening hours.

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 Jan 24, 2:04 PM AST, 6 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 24, 2:04 PM AST, 6 hours 56 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 24, 6:39 AM AST, 14 hours 21 minutes before

Perspectivas sobre Condiciones Peligrosas del Tiempo
Servicio Nacional de Meteorologia San Juan PR
453 AM AST viernes 24 de enero de 2020

AMZ710>745-PRZ001>013-250900-
San Juan y Vecindad-Noreste-Sureste-
Este Interior-Norte Central-Interior Central-Ponce y Vecindad-
Noroeste-Oeste Interior-Mayaguez y Vecindad-Suroeste-Culebra-Vieques-
Aguas cercanas y mar afuera del Atlantico y Caribe-
453 AM AST viernes 24 de enero de 2020

Esta perspectiva sobre las condiciones peligrosas del tiempo es
para Puerto Rico y las aguas costeras adyacentes del Atlantico.

.Dia Uno...Hoy y esta noche

.Inundaciones...Lluvias fuertes pudieran resultar en inundaciones
urbanas y de riachuelos en areas localizadas y acumulacion de agua
en carreteras.

.Olas...Se espera que oleaje picado/vigoroso de hasta 8 pies invada
las aguas locales del Atlantico y pasajes del Caribe hoy y esta
noche.

.Corrientes marinas...Existe riesgo alto de corrientes marinas para
la costa norte de Puerto Rico y Culebra.

.Dias dos hasta el siete...sabado a jueves

Se espera que la probabilidad del oleaje peligroso culmine el lunes.
Las corrientes marinas pudieran continuar hasta el miercoles a lo
largo de la costa norte de Puerto Rico.

.Comunicado sobre informacion reportada por observadores...

No se anticipa activacion amplia de observadores. Sin embargo, se
les exhorta a los observadores individuales a reportar vientos
fuertes, inundaciones o corrientes marinas al Servicio Nacional de
Meteorologia en San Juan.

AMZ715-725-VIZ001-002-250900-
San Tomas, San John y Islas Adyacentes-
Santa Cruz-Aguas cercanas del Atlantico y aguas costeras adyacentes
del Caribe-
453 AM AST viernes 24 de enero de 2020

Esta perspectiva sobre las condiciones peligrosas del tiempo es para
Islas Virgenes Estadounidenses y las aguas costeras adyacentes.

.Dia uno...Hoy y esta noche

.Olas...Se espera que oleaje picado/vigoroso de hasta 8 pies invada
las aguas locales del Atlantico y pasajes del Caribe hoy y esta
noche.

.Corrientes marinas...Existe un riesgo alto de corrientes marinas
para las playas del noroeste de San Tomas.

.Dias dos hasta el siete...sabado a jueves

Se espera que la probabilidad de oleaje peligroso y el riesgo alto
de corrientes marinas para las playas del noroeste culmine el lunes.

.Comunicado sobre informacion reportada por observadores...

No se anticipa activacion amplia de observadores. Sin embargo, se
les exhorta a los observadores individuales a reportar vientos
fuertes, inundaciones o corrientes marinas al Servicio Nacional de
Meteorologia en San Juan.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Ponce

When: January 24, 9:00 PM AST to 10:45 PM AST
Where: Ponce County, 3.13 mi S of Ponce to 3.14 mi SSE of Ponce
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 18.005, -66.612

Urban flooding was reported along Calle Buenos Aires.

Flood, Ponce

When: January 24, 9:00 PM AST to 10:45 PM AST
Where: Ponce County, 3.21 mi SSW of Ponce to 3.23 mi SSW of Ponce
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 18.008, -66.640

Urban flooding was reported along Calle Dolores.

Flood, Ponce

When: January 24, 9:00 PM AST to 10:45 PM AST
Where: Ponce County, 3.07 mi S of Ponce to 3.01 mi S of Ponce
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 18.006, -66.617

YMCA was not accessible due to the flooding.

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 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in Puerto Rico, January 2020

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: 869560, 869561, 869562.