NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Puerto Rico Summary
From 1980-2024, there were 8 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect Puerto Rico. These events included 8 tropical cyclone events. The 1980–2024 annual average is 0.2 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2020–2024) is 0.2 events (CPI-adjusted).
| Disaster Type | Events | Events/Year | Percent Frequency | Total Costs | Percent of Total Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Flooding | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Freeze | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Severe Storm | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Tropical Cyclone | 8 | 0.2 | 100.0% | $100.0B-$200.0B | 100.0% |
| Wildfire | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Winter Storm | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| All Disasters | 8 | 0.2 | 100.0% | $100.0B-$200.0B | 100.0% |
| Time Period | Billion-Dollar Disasters | Events/ | Cost | Percent of Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s (1980-1989) | 1 | 0.1 | $1.0B-$2.0B | 1.1% |
| 1990s (1990-1999) | 2 | 0.2 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 5.6% |
| 2000s (2000-2009) | 1 | 0.1 | $500M-$1.0B | 0.7% |
| 2010s (2010-2019) | 3 | 0.3 | $100.0B-$200.0B | 90.5% |
| Last 5 Years (2020-2024) | 1 | 0.2 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 2.1% |
| Last 3 Years (2022-2024) | 1 | 0.3 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 2.1% |
| Last Year (2024) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
| All Years (1980-2024) | 8 | 0.2 | $100.0B-$200.0B | 100.0% |
| Event | Type | Begin Date |
End Date |
Summary |
CPI-Adjusted Estimated Cost (in Billions) |
Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hurricane Fiona September 2022 | Tropical Cyclone | September 17, 2022 | September 18, 2022 | Category 1 Hurricane Fiona causes widespread power outage across central and western Puerto Rico. Extreme rainfall (12-18 inches) from an intensifying hurricane resulted in widespread flooding and mudslides causing damage to many homes, businesses, vehicles and other infrastructure. The regional power grid was also significantly impaired. | $2.7 CI | 25 |
Hurricane Dorian September 2019 | Tropical Cyclone | August 28, 2019 | September 6, 2019 | Category 1 hurricane makes landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, after devastating the northern Bahama Islands as a historically-powerful and slow-moving hurricane. Dorian tracked offshore parallel to the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coastline before making a North Carolina landfall, bringing a destructive sound-side surge that inundated many coastal properties and isolated residents who did not evacuate. Significant flood, severe storm, and tornado damage to many homes and businesses occurred on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Dorian's intensification to a category 5 storm marks the fourth consecutive year, in which a maximum category 5 storm developed in the Atlantic basin - a new record. Dorian also tied the record for maximum sustained wind speed for a landfalling hurricane (185 mph) in the Atlantic, a record shared with the historic 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. | $2.0 CI | 10 |
Hurricane Maria September 2017 | Tropical Cyclone | September 19, 2017 | September 21, 2017 | Category 4 hurricane made landfall in southeast Puerto Rico after striking the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix. Maria's high winds caused widespread devastation to Puerto Rico's transportation, agriculture, communication and energy infrastructure. Extreme rainfall up to 37 inches caused widespread flooding and mudslides across the island. The interruption to commerce and standard living conditions will be sustained for a long period, as much of Puerto Rico's infrastructure is rebuilt. Maria tied Hurricane Wilma (2005) for the most rapid intensification, strengthening from tropical depression to a category 5 storm in 54 hours. Maria's landfall at Category 4 strength gives the U.S. a record three Category 4+ landfalls this year (Maria, Harvey, and Irma). Maria was one of the deadliest storms to impact the U.S., with numerous indirect deaths in the wake of the storm's devastation. | $115.2 CI | 2,981 |
Hurricane Irma September 2017 | Tropical Cyclone | September 6, 2017 | September 12, 2017 | Category 4 hurricane made landfall at Cudjoe Key, Florida after devastating the U.S. Virgin Islands - St John and St Thomas - as a category 5 storm. The Florida Keys were heavily impacted, as 25% of buildings were destroyed while 65% were significantly damaged. Severe wind and storm surge damage also occurred along the coasts of Florida and South Carolina. Jacksonville, FL and Charleston, SC received near-historic levels of storm surge causing significant coastal flooding. Irma maintained a maximum sustained wind of 185 mph for 37 hours, the longest in the satellite era. Irma also was a category 5 storm for longer than all other Atlantic hurricanes except Ivan in 2004. | $64.0 CI | 97 |
Hurricane Jeanne September 2004 | Tropical Cyclone | September 15, 2004 | September 29, 2004 | Category 3 hurricane makes landfall in east-central Florida, causing considerable wind, storm surge, and flooding damage in FL, with some flood damage also in the states of GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE, NJ, PA, and NY. Puerto Rico also affected. | $12.4 CI | 28 |
Hurricane Georges September 1998 | Tropical Cyclone | September 20, 1998 | September 29, 1998 | Category 2 hurricane strikes Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Florida Keys, and Gulf coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida panhandle, 15-30 inch 2-day rain totals in parts of Alabama and Florida | $11.6 CI | 16 |
Hurricane Marilyn September 1995 | Tropical Cyclone | September 15, 1995 | September 17, 1995 | Category 2 hurricane impacts the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. | $4.3 CI | 13 |
Hurricane Hugo September 1989 | Tropical Cyclone | September 21, 1989 | September 22, 1989 | Category 4 hurricane devastates South and North Carolina with ~20 foot storm surge and severe wind damage after hitting Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands | $22.7 CI | 86 |
†Deaths associated with drought are the result of heat waves. (Not all droughts are accompanied by extreme heat waves.)
Flooding events (river basin or urban flooding from excessive rainfall) are separate from inland flood damage caused by tropical cyclone events.
Citing this information:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73
