PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS SKYWARN

Why are spotters important?

Warnings are issued for hurricanes, tropical storms, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, waterspouts and flooding as seen by the San Juan WSR-88 Doppler based in Cayey, PR, and with the help of Civil Defense, storm spotters and ham radio enthusiasts around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The WSR-88D gives the radar operator a good look into maturing thunderstorms, and can even detect tornadic signatures in favorable environments, as well as areas of excessive precipitation accumulations. However, without reports to verify radar signatures, all the forecaster has is a pretty picture. Therefore, spotters are able to give forecasters at the National Weather Service vital information for making warning decisions.

Local Storm Report For NWSFO SAN JUAN, PR

If you are a witness to any of the following during a storm occurring within our Warning Area, including all municipalities in Puerto Rico and anywhere in St Croix, St Thomas and St John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, please feel free to fill out the spotter report below and send it to us with an account of what occurred.

Any deaths or injuries associated with hazardous weather.
Tornadoes, waterspouts or funnel clouds.
Thunderstorms accompanied by wind gusts which cause structural damage to buildings, power lines or trees.
Wind Gusts during other weather situations (stormy or fair) which also cause the above damage.
Hail of any size - please report the approximate size as well (pea, marble, quarter, golf ball, baseball or softball).
Flooding of rivers, streams or coastal flooding into homes or industries.
Flooding of rivers, streams, poor drainage or coastal flooding which makes roadways totally impassable (please report the name of the road as well).
Rivers or streams which approach bankfull.
Mudslides
Heavy rainfall / torrential downpour criteria:
1. 0.7" in 15 minutes
2. 1.2" in 20 minutes
3. 2.0"+ in three hours or less
During hurricanes or tropical storms only - please send event total rainfall and peak wind gust (if available).

What type of severe weather was it?

What type of damage was observed?

Please fill out the following information for us

Name

E-Mail Address

Phone Number(optional)

Barrio/Urbanization or Town(or direction and miles from it)

Municipality

Island

Date of Damage

Time of Damage

REMARKS:

(if applicable, include estimated wind speeds, hail size, amount of rainfall and any other information that you think was interesting about the storm.)

NOTE: These reports may be used in storm summary reports and on storm accumulation maps. They may not be received in REAL-TIME and may not be looked at until well after a storm has passed. If you have a real weather emergency please call your local law enforcement agency.

Severe Weather Safety Guide These links are courtesy of the National Weather Service office in Norman, OK.
Severe Weather Safety Guide
Spotters Field Guide

For general SKYWARN information, see the Puerto Rico Skywarn Home Page, or see the National Skywarn Home Page

Also...if you have any photographs of any severe weather or damage caused by storms ...please send us a copy to the address below.

National Weather Service
4000 Carreterra 190
Carolina, PR 00979
Webmaster: sr-sju.webmaster@noaa.gov

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