Coastal Flood and Damaging Winds in Puerto Rico, July 3 to 4, 2021

Name: Coastal Flood and Damaging Winds in Puerto Rico, July 3 to 4, 2021
Start: 2021-07-03T06:00
End: 2021-07-04T06:00
Location: Puerto Rico

July 3 to 4, 2021 · NWS SJU · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Hurricane Elsa passed about 200 miles to the south of the southern coast of PR. However, outer rainbands associated with the tropical cyclone affected the southern half of Puerto Rico with periods of heavy rains and gusty winds.

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: $3,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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.

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 Jul 3, 5:22 AM AST, 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 3, 5:22 AM AST, 38 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 2, 8:01 AM AST, 21 hours 59 minutes before

Perspectivas sobre Condiciones Peligrosas del Tiempo
Servicio Nacional de Meteorologia en San Juan PR
417 AM AST viernes 2 de julio de 2021

AMZ710>745-PRZ001>013-021015-
San Juan y Vecindad-Noreste-Sureste-Este Interior-Norte Central-Interior
Central-Ponce y Vecindad-Noroeste-Oeste Interior-Mayaguez y Vecindad-
Suroeste-Culebra-Vieques-Las aguas costeras cercanas y lejanas a la
costa del Atlantico y Caribe-
417 AM AST viernes 2 de julio de 2021

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

.Dia Uno...Resto de hoy y esta noche

.Tronadas...Existe el potencial de tronadas con lluvias
fuertes y vientos en rafagas esta noche a traves del este de Puerto
Rico y las aguas del Caribe.

.Inundaciones...Lluvias de moderada a fuerte podria generar
inundaciones urbanas y de pequenos riachuelos, sobre el este y sur
de Puerto Rico esta noche.

.Viento...Se esperan vientos sostenidos en exceso de 20 mph (17
nudos) con rafagas de viento de alrededor de 30 mph, a traves
de la mayoria de las aguas locales.

.Olas...Se espera oleaje picado hasta 7 pies a traves de las aguas
mar afuera. Oleaje peligroso de hasta 14 pies se espera a traves de
las aguas mar afuera del Caribe.

.Corrientes Marinas...Existe un riesgo alto de corrientes marinas
para algunas playas del sur Puerto Rico al igual que playas de
Culebra y Vieques. Un riesgo alto se espera para la mayoria de las
playas en Puerto Rico.

.Calor...Vientos de este sureste y humedad alta resultara indices de calor
de 102 a 106 grados Fahrenheit en areas bajas.

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

El paso de la Tormenta tropical Elsa al sur de la region traera aguaceros
y tronadas con rafagas de viento fuertes el sabado. El oleaje durante el fin
de semana se mantendra peligroso.

.Comunicado sobre informacion reportada por observadores...

No se espera activacion amplia de observadores. Favor de reportar
cualquier informacion sobre vientos, oleaje y corrientes marinas al
Servicio Nacional de Meteorologia en San Juan mientras siguen las
indicaciones de las autoridades locales y estatales.

AMZ715-725-VIZ001-002-030830-
San Tomas, San John e Islas Adyacentes-Santa Cruz-
Aguas cercanas del Atlantico y aguas costeras adyacentes del Caribe-
417 AM AST viernes 2 de julio de 2021

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

.Dia Uno...Hoy y esta noche

.Tronadas...Existe el potencial de tronadas con lluvias fuertes y
vientos en rafagas esta noche.

.Viento...Se esperan vientos sostenidos en exceso de 20 mph (17
nudos) con rafagas de viento de alrededor de 30 mph, a traves
de la mayoria de las aguas locales.

.Olas...Se espera oleaje picado hasta 7 pies a traves de las aguas
mar afuera. Oleaje peligroso de hasta 14 pies se espera a traves de
las aguas mar afuera del Caribe.

.Corrientes Marinas... Un riesgo alto se espera para la mayoria de las
playas en las Islas Virgenes Americanas.

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

El paso de la Tormenta tropical Elsa al sur de la region traera aguaceros
y tronadas con rafagas de viento fuertes el sabado. El oleaje durante el fin
de semana se mantendra peligroso.

.Comunicado sobre informacion reportada por observadores...

No se espera activacion amplia de observadores. Favor de reportar
cualquier informacion sobre vientos, oleaje y corrientes marinas al
Servicio Nacional de Meteorologia en San Juan mientras siguen las
indicaciones de las autoridades locales y estatales.

The radar

The San Juan radar (TJUA), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Coastal Flood, Ponce and Vicinity

When: July 3, 6:00 AM AST to July 4, 6:00 AM AST
Where: Ponce and Vicinity forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Coastal flooding due to high waves in Sector Playa.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cabo Rojo

When: July 3, 6:00 AM AST
Where: Cabo Rojo County, 5.02 mi NNW of Cabo Rojo to 3.98 mi N of Cabo Rojo
Measured: 26 kt (30 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $500
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 18.093, -67.169

Emergency managers reported fallen trees close to Road PR-100 and PR-102 related to strong thunderstorm produced by the rainbands. The Cabo Rojo Raws station measured wind gusts up to 30 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ponce

When: July 3, 10:00 AM AST
Where: Ponce County, 1.59 mi SSE of Ponce to 1.99 mi SSE of Ponce
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 18.027, -66.615

Fallen tree caused downed power lines in Sector Barriada Borinquen.

Thunderstorm Wind, San Sebastian

When: July 3, 10:30 AM AST
Where: San Sebastian County, 3.52 mi WNW of San Sebastian to 3.39 mi NW of San Sebastian
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 18.347, -67.016

Downed tree damaged a car in Sector Laberinto in Barrio Guatemala.

What these are

Coastal Flood: Flooding of coastal land by the sea, from storm surge, onshore wind or high tides.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Puerto Rico in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in Puerto Rico, July 2021

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: 974752, 974758, 974768, 974776.