NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Moca, 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
56 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Moca, Puerto Rico since 1851, 28 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
- 28
- Tropical storms
- 28
- 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 Moca
The strongest storm to pass near Moca was Irma in 2017, a Category 5 hurricane with 170 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1916, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Moca begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Fiona in 2022, a Category 1 hurricane 26 miles away. Of the 56 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Of the 86 Puerto Rico cities on this site, 52% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Moca. 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 8 miles. Of the 20, 2 had paths 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. Moca has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 91% of the 86 Puerto Rico cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 6 times since 2012, with stones up to 0.5 inches (marble size). Moca has more hail reports within 10 miles than 73% of the 86 Puerto Rico cities.
Compare Moca's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Moca
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | FionaSep 18 | 26 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | FredAug 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | LauraAug 22 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | MariaSep 20 | 16 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 7 | 73 mi | Category 5 (170 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2015 | ErikaAug 28 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2014 | BerthaAug 2 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 22 | 33 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2007 | OlgaDec 11 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 15 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2000 | DebbyAug 23 | 61 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | GeorgesSep 22 | 22 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | HortenseSep 10 | 21 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 18 | 67 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1981 | GertSep 8 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 4 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 16 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1963 | EdithSep 27 | 71 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1961 | FrancesOct 2 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1958 | GerdaSep 14 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | BetsyAug 12 | 16 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1955 | HildaSep 12 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1953 | DollySep 8 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 23 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 21 | 69 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 14 | 48 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormAug 9 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 27 | 12 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormSep 11 | 8 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1930 | Unnamed 1930 stormSep 3 | 56 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 14 | 7 mi | Category 4 (139 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 4 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 24 | 27 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormSep 3 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 22 | 2 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 13 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormSep 7 | 54 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormAug 22 | 58 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormSep 10 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 12 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 7 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 8 | 6 mi | Category 3 (125 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 1 | 11 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 17 | 10 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormAug 20 | 53 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 10 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormNov 29 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 13 | 10 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 30 | 8 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormAug 26 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 24 | 64 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 5 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 18 | 61 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 Moca: 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 Moca
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s4
- 2000s7
- 1990s2
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 2023 | EF1 | 8 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 2022 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 7, 1962 | F1 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2023 | EF0 | 5 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2019 | EF0 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 2013 | EF0 | 7 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 13, 2012 | EF0 | 15 mi | 0.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2011 | EF0 | in town | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 25, 2009 | EF0 | 9 mi | 0.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 2007 | EF0 | 9 mi | 1.28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 2006 | F0 | 8 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2005 | F0 | 7 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 Moca
The Storm Prediction Center has 6 hail reports within 10 miles of Moca since 2012. None of them reached 1 inch. The largest, 0.5 inches (marble size), fell on October 18, 2012. The most recent report is from September 25, 2024.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Moca
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Coloso, PR RQ, 5 miles west of Moca at 40 feet. September is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 84°F and 66°F. August is the wettest at 10.5 inches of precipitation on average and December the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 77.6 inches over 121 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 66% of the year's precipitation (51.6 of 77.6 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 56 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (28); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 9.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 108 days a year, almost all from February to December. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 77.6 inches is more than at 17 of the 21 Puerto Rico stations used on this site (81%). San Sebastian, 8 miles southeast, has its own station (Isabela Substn, PR RQ): 64.0 inches a year, 13.6 less than here, and a September average high of 87°F against 89°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Mayaguez, PR, 12 miles southwest, averaged 87°F in September and 81°F in February over 2021–2025. Sea level at the Magueyes Island tide gauge, 28 miles from Moca, 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 | 84 | 66 | 2.5 | 5 | 82 |
| Feb | 85 | 66 | 2.7 | 5 | 81 |
| Mar | 86 | 67 | 3.3 | 6 | 82 |
| Apr | 86 | 69 | 5.3 | 9 | 82 |
| May | 87 | 71 | 9.8 | 13 | 84 |
| Jun | 89 | 72 | 8.7 | 14 | 85 |
| Jul | 89 | 73 | 9.1 | 13 | 86 |
| Aug | 89 | 73 | 10.5 | 14 | 86 |
| Sep | 89 | 73 | 9.3 | 13 | 87 |
| Oct | 89 | 72 | 8.9 | 13 | 87 |
| Nov | 87 | 71 | 5.1 | 10 | 85 |
| Dec | 85 | 68 | 2.4 | 6 | 83 |
| Year | 87 | 70 | 77.6 | 121 | 84 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Coloso, PR RQ (40 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 Moca
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 261 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Moca: 107 floods, 75 flash floods, 47 thunderstorm wind reports, 27 heavy rain events and 5 lightning strikes. They killed 6 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $1.51 billion in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 58 mph, on May 23, 2015. May has had the most flash floods, 24 of 75. Of the 86 Puerto Rico cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 45 have had fewer than Moca.
September 20, 2017: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Moca — 2 killed, $750.0 million damage.
May 8, 2024: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Moca — 1 killed, 2 injured.
July 30, 2020: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Moca — 1 killed, $1.0 million damage.
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
Moca Municipio, which includes Moca, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 earthquakes). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Fiona, on September 21, 2022.
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.