High Surf · Puerto Rico

High surf impacted the Cueva del Indio area in Arecibo during the afternoon of February 9, 2026. Three individuals were on coastal rocks when a large breaking wave swept them into the ocean. One person returned safely to shore, while the other two were carried offshore. After several days of search operations, the bodies of the two individuals were recovered. The incident was caused by dangerous wave action associated with a long-period northerly swell.

A large, long-period northwest to northerly swell impacted the Atlantic waters and local passages of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from February 9 through February 11, 2026. This swell developed over the western Atlantic, maintaining hazardous marine conditions across the region.

Seas built to hazardous levels, with buoy observations indicating wave heights near 9 feet and long periods of 14 to 15 seconds. These conditions generated large breaking waves along north- to northeast-facing coastlines, with surf heights estimated between 10 and 16 feet.

The swell produced dangerous marine and coastal conditions, including life-threatening rip currents, high surf, and minor coastal flooding across exposed coastal areas of Puerto Rico, Culebra, Vieques, and the northern U.S. Virgin Islands. The most significant impacts occurred from February 9 through February 10, with hazardous conditions gradually subsiding by February 11.