Puerto Rico, 2025

Debris Flow and Flood in Puerto Rico, September 12, 2025

September 12, 2025 · NWS SJU · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Persistent shower activity was observed as a tropical wave moves across the local area. This moisture, along with a weak steering flow, resulted in the development of strong thunderstorms across the interior of Puerto Rico.

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
$8,000
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.

Persistent shower activity was observed as a tropical wave moves across the local area. This moisture, along with a weak steering flow, resulted in the development of strong thunderstorms across the interior of Puerto Rico.

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 Sep 12, 2:04 PM AST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 12, 2:04 PM AST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 12, 3:26 AM AST, 12 hours 34 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 12, 1:58 PM AST, 2 hours 2 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Sep 12, 2:40 PM AST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
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The radar

The San Juan radar (TJUA), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 debris flow, 1 lightning, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Debris Flow, Utuado

When
September 12, 4:00 PM AST to 7:00 PM AST
Where
Utuado County, 2.42 mi WNW of Utuado to 2.4 mi WNW of Utuado
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$400
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
18.279, -66.736

Emergency managers report a landslide affecting both lanes of Road 111 at km 55.2, near Papin Grocery Store and Bar in Utuado.

Lightning, Orocovis

When
September 12, 4:20 PM AST
Where
Orocovis County, 3.18 mi SSE of Orocovis
Property damage
$8,000
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
18.175, -66.410

A member of the public posted an image on social media of a fallen power pole struck by lightning during thunderstorm activity in Bo. Saltos, Sector La Charca in Orocovis.

Flood, Utuado

When
September 12, 4:40 PM AST to 6:30 PM AST
Where
Utuado County, 0.08 mi SSW of Utuado to 0.09 mi SW of Utuado
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$400
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
18.269, -66.701

Emergency managers report runoff and flooding on Road 111, in front of LarCoop near Residencial Jardines de Utuado and the Emergency Management office. Roads remain passable, with about 3 inches of rainfall were recorded at the time of the report.

What these are

Debris Flow
A fast-moving slurry of mud, rock and debris, usually on a slope soaked by heavy rain or stripped by a fire.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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

More

Every storm in Puerto Rico in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Puerto Rico, September 2025

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: 1294703, 1294702, 1294701.