NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Maricao, PR
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
54 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Maricao, Puerto Rico since 1851, 27 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Fiona in 2022. Since 1950, 20 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 27
- Tropical storms
- 27
- Tornadoes
- 20
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Maricao
The strongest storm to pass near Maricao was an unnamed storm in 1928, a Category 4 hurricane with 139 mph winds when its centre passed 15 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1932, whose centre came within 1 mile. The record near Maricao begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Fiona in 2022, a Category 1 hurricane 16 miles away. The 1890s and the 2010s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 54 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Of the 86 Puerto Rico cities on this site, 67% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Maricao. The highest rating among the 20 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 3 times; the most recent, on July 16, 2023, came within 20 miles. Of the 20, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 14 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on August 9, 2023. Maricao has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 91% of the 86 Puerto Rico cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 8 times since 2012, with stones up to 0.75 inches (penny size). Maricao has more hail reports within 10 miles than 76% of the 86 Puerto Rico cities.
Compare Maricao's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Maricao
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | FionaSep 18 | 16 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | FredAug 11 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | LauraAug 22 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2018 | BerylJul 9 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | MariaSep 20 | 24 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2015 | ErikaAug 28 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2014 | BerthaAug 2 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 22 | 40 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2007 | OlgaDec 11 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 15 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2000 | DebbyAug 22 | 72 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | GeorgesSep 22 | 7 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | HortenseSep 10 | 11 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 18 | 70 mi | Category 3 (122 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1984 | KlausNov 7 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1981 | GertSep 8 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 4 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1963 | EdithSep 26 | 70 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1961 | FrancesOct 2 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1958 | GerdaSep 14 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | BetsyAug 12 | 23 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1953 | DollySep 8 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 23 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 21 | 60 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 14 | 50 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 6 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormAug 9 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 27 | 1 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormSep 11 | 22 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1930 | Unnamed 1930 stormSep 2 | 45 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 13 | 15 mi | Category 4 (139 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 24 | 21 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormSep 3 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 22 | 9 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 13 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormSep 7 | 41 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormAug 22 | 46 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 12 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 7 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 1 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 8 | 14 mi | Category 3 (128 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 28 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 1 | 3 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 17 | 19 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormAug 20 | 45 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormNov 29 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 13 | 3 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 30 | 6 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormAug 26 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 24 | 74 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 5 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 18 | 50 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Maricao: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Maricao
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s4
- 2000s7
- 1990s2
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 2023 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 2022 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 7, 1962 | F1 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2023 | EF0 | 21 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2019 | EF0 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 2013 | EF0 | 18 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 13, 2012 | EF0 | 9 mi | 0.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2011 | EF0 | 16 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 25, 2009 | EF0 | 25 mi | 0.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 2007 | EF0 | 16 mi | 1.28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 2006 | F0 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2005 | F0 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 20, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Maricao
The Storm Prediction Center has 8 hail reports within 10 miles of Maricao since 2012, made on 7 separate days. None of them reached 1 inch. The largest, 0.75 inches (penny size), fell on May 30, 2017. The most recent report is from September 25, 2024.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Maricao
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Adjuntas Substn, PR RQ, 11 miles east of Maricao at 1,830 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; February is the coolest, at 80°F and 56°F. September is the wettest at 12.9 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 80.2 inches over 116 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 62% of the year's precipitation (49.9 of 80.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 54 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (25); a normal September there has highs of 85°F and 12.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 80.2 inches is more than at 19 of the 21 Puerto Rico stations used on this site (90%). Las Marias, 4 miles north, has its own station (Mayaguez City, PR RQ): 51.3 inches a year, 28.9 less than here, and an August average high of 90°F against 85°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Mayaguez, PR, 14 miles west, averaged 87°F in September and 81°F in February over 2021–2025. Sea level at the Magueyes Island tide gauge, 16 miles from Maricao, has risen 0.81 ± 0.06 inches per decade from 1955 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 8.1 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 41 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79 | 57 | 2.6 | 6 | 82 |
| Feb | 80 | 56 | 2.6 | 6 | 81 |
| Mar | 80 | 57 | 4.4 | 7 | 82 |
| Apr | 81 | 59 | 7.2 | 10 | 82 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 9.9 | 12 | 84 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.6 | 8 | 85 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 5.7 | 10 | 86 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 9.1 | 12 | 86 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 12.9 | 13 | 87 |
| Oct | 84 | 63 | 10.9 | 14 | 87 |
| Nov | 82 | 61 | 6.7 | 11 | 85 |
| Dec | 80 | 58 | 3.6 | 7 | 83 |
| Year | 82 | 60 | 80.2 | 116 | 84 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Adjuntas Substn, PR RQ (1,830 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Mayaguez, PR, from NOAA Tides & Currents. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Maricao
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 112 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Maricao: 43 flash floods, 32 floods, 24 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $169,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 49 mph, on September 3, 2015. October has had the most flash floods, 12 of 43. Of the 86 Puerto Rico cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 10 have had fewer than Maricao.
April 12, 2018: flood 10 miles from the centre of Maricao — 1 killed.
August 27, 2016: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Maricao — 1 injured.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Maricao Municipio, which includes Maricao, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Ernesto, on November 27, 2024.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.