NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Vega Alta, PR
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
67 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico since 1851, 32 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ernesto in 2024. Since 1950, 8 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 32
- Tropical storms
- 35
- Tornadoes
- 8
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Vega Alta
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ErnestoAug 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2022 | FionaSep 18 | 56 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | FredAug 11 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | LauraAug 22 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | KarenSep 24 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | DorianAug 28 | 65 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | MariaSep 20 | 9 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 6 | 53 mi | Category 5 (173 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2015 | ErikaAug 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 22 | 3 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2007 | OlgaDec 11 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | IokeAug 27 | 65 mi | Category 5 (161 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 15 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2001 | DeanAug 22 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2000 | DebbyAug 22 | 44 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | JoseOct 21 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1999 | DoraAug 19 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | GeorgesSep 22 | 15 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | HortenseSep 10 | 47 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 8 | 64 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | MarilynSep 16 | 53 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 18 | 29 mi | Category 3 (123 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1984 | KlausNov 7 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1981 | GertSep 8 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 4 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 16 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1967 | SarahSep 14 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | BetsyAug 12 | 14 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1955 | HildaSep 12 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1953 | DollySep 8 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 23 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 3 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormAug 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 5 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormAug 8 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 26 | 51 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 27 | 15 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormSep 11 | 6 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormAug 17 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1930 | Unnamed 1930 stormSep 2 | 73 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 13 | 16 mi | Category 4 (148 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 3 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 23 | 57 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormAug 29 | 72 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormAug 19 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormSep 3 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 22 | 18 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 13 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormSep 7 | 61 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormAug 22 | 69 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormSep 10 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 12 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 7 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 1 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 8 | 21 mi | Category 4 (133 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 28 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 1 | 39 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 17 | 14 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 3 | 67 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 10 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormNov 28 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 13 | 19 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 22 | 61 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 29 | 8 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 24 | 51 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 5 | 37 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Vega Alta: 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 Vega Alta
By decade
- 2010s3
- 2000s2
- 1990s1
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 1974 | F1 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 1969 | F1 | 17 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 30, 2019 | EF0 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 2017 | EF0 | 20 mi | 0.43 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 18, 2016 | EF0 | 10 mi | 0.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 25, 2000 | F0 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 23, 2000 | F0 | 17 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 1995 | F0 | 15 mi | — | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 8 of 8, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
How to read this page
A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Vega Alta while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.
Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.
Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.