Flash Flood — Arecibo, Puerto Rico

2011-11-07 · near Arecibo, Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Direct deaths

$25K

Property damage

Event narrative

A van with 10 inmates and 2 guards was overturned by a rush of water flowing down a dry gut. From the 12 passengers, 4 were rescued, 2 guards and 2 inmates, 8 bodies were recovered. According to EMS officials, the dry gut was already swollen and flooded the nearby area before the van tried to travel through at the Sabana Hoyo ward near the Cordova sector in Arecibo.

Wider weather episode

A Large low pressure southwest of Bermuda maintained a trough across the local area which resulted in an unstable air mass. An active afternoon followed with the development of showers and thunderstorms, some which produced very heavy rainfall and small stream flooding mainly over the municipalities of Arecibo and San Sebastian.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (18.3794, -66.5968)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 346784. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.