EF0 Tornado — Arecibo, Puerto Rico

2024-05-02 · near Arecibo, Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Event narrative

At approximately 4:58 PM on May 2, 2024, a waterspout initially

formed over the local Atlantic waters and proceeded to track

ESEward, making landfall over Albacoa Beach in Arecibo. As the

waterspout transitioned into a weak tornado, it encountered an

expanse of mangrove trees, resulting in the downing of numerous

small to medium-sized branches along its path. Additionally, the

tornado's winds affected street signs and canopy tents, which were

blown away by the force of the storm.

Wider weather episode

On May 2, 2024, a significant weather event unfolded as a waterspout

made landfall, impacting the Cambalache sector within the

Municipality of Arecibo. The inclement weather in this region was

spurred by a mid to upper-level trough shifting from west to east

along Puerto Rico's northern coast. Doppler radar scans revealed

several velocity couplets at an altitude of 6000 feet, indicating

the potential for turbulent weather conditions. As the

waterspout transitioned into a weak tornado, it encountered an

expanse of mangrove trees, resulting in the downing of numerous

small to medium-sized branches along its path. Additionally, the

tornado's winds affected street signs and canopy tents, which were

blown away by the force of the storm.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (18.4721, -66.7041)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1261872. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.