Puerto Rico flood insurance and flood history
From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 25,387 flood insurance claims in Puerto Rico since 1978. The NFIP paid $161.1 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 1998, with 4,951, mostly from Hurricane Georges.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 1,072 claims, and the average paid claim was $46,243.
17% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 13 flood-related disaster declarations covering parts of Puerto Rico. The most recent was DR-4850-PR (Tropical Storm Ernesto), declared November 27, 2024.
Flood insurance claims in Puerto Rico by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | $7,764 |
| 2025 | 10 | $67,382 |
| 2024 | 33 | $690,123 |
| 2023 | 21 | $575,617 |
| 2022 | 174 | $5.3 million |
| 2021 | 9 | $177,227 |
| 2020 | 77 | $1.9 million |
| 2019 | 2 | $287,563 |
| 2018 | 8 | $48,212 |
| 2017 | 734 | $28.0 million |
| 2016 | 17 | $188,973 |
| 2015 | 2 | $0 |
| 2014 | 24 | $87,319 |
| 2013 | 242 | $2.5 million |
| 2012 | 139 | $1.1 million |
| 2011 | 788 | $3.2 million |
| 2010 | 274 | $991,122 |
| 2009 | 368 | $5.7 million |
| 2008 | 796 | $4.1 million |
| 2007 | 145 | $489,522 |
| 2006 | 58 | $355,049 |
| 2005 | 315 | $1.3 million |
| 2004 | 927 | $5.3 million |
| 2003 | 671 | $2.5 million |
| 2002 | 51 | $219,440 |
| 2001 | 372 | $3.0 million |
| 2000 | 113 | $490,373 |
| 1999 | 180 | $1.3 million |
| 1998 | 4,951 | $27.1 million |
| 1997 | 63 | $547,816 |
| 1996 | 1,797 | $20.9 million |
| 1995 | 93 | $437,675 |
| 1994 | 30 | $52,395 |
| 1993 | 137 | $672,381 |
| 1992 | 600 | $6.0 million |
| 1991 | 33 | $228,337 |
| 1990 | 49 | $289,345 |
| 1989 | 624 | $2.1 million |
| 1988 | 425 | $1.1 million |
| 1987 | 1,141 | $5.9 million |
| 1986 | 974 | $3.0 million |
| 1985 | 2,468 | $8.3 million |
| 1984 | 182 | $420,385 |
| 1983 | 457 | $989,847 |
| 1982 | 425 | $1.0 million |
| 1981 | 1,261 | $4.2 million |
| 1980 | 307 | $464,530 |
| 1979 | 2,558 | $6.9 million |
| 1978 | 258 | $616,730 |
Biggest flood events by NFIP payments
The flood events FEMA's claims data names most often for Puerto Rico, ranked by what the NFIP paid. FEMA names events in its claims records; claims without an event name aren't included here.
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Maria | 2017 | 712 | $27.8 million |
| Hurricane Georges | 1998 | 4,763 | $26.2 million |
| Hurricane Hortense | 1996 | 1,733 | $20.5 million |
| Hurricane Isabel | 1985 | 1,880 | $5.7 million |
| Flooding | 1992 | 513 | $5.5 million |
| Flooding | 1987 | 978 | $5.2 million |
| Hurricanes David & Frederic | 1979 | 1,859 | $4.9 million |
| Tropical Storm Jeanne | 2004 | 758 | $4.3 million |
| Hurricane Fiona | 2022 | 142 | $4.2 million |
| Flooding | 1981 | 891 | $3.5 million |
Flood history by county
Every Puerto Rico county in FEMA's data, sorted by number of NFIP claims since 1978. "Insured" is the share of homes with an NFIP policy.
| County | Claims | Paid | Insured | Flood declarations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toa Baja Municipio | 2,041 | $17.9 million | n/a | 3 |
| Carolina Municipio | 1,064 | $4.3 million | n/a | 1 |
| Humacao Municipio | 1,058 | $4.0 million | n/a | 2 |
| Arecibo Municipio | 994 | $11.5 million | n/a | 3 |
| Ponce Municipio | 608 | $3.1 million | n/a | 5 |
| Bayamon Municipio | 522 | $3.5 million | n/a | 2 |
| Fajardo Municipio | 474 | $1.6 million | n/a | 3 |
| Loiza Municipio | 467 | $1.2 million | n/a | 3 |
| Guaynabo Municipio | 245 | $2.8 million | n/a | 1 |
| Guayanilla Municipio | 229 | $1.9 million | n/a | 4 |
| Guayama Municipio | 213 | $1.4 million | n/a | 4 |
| Yauco Municipio | 130 | $1.5 million | n/a | 7 |
| Patillas Municipio | 128 | $604,032 | n/a | 4 |
| Guanica Municipio | 120 | $309,508 | n/a | 6 |
| Anasco Municipio | 99 | $784,730 | n/a | 5 |
| Maunabo Municipio | 91 | $88,450 | n/a | 4 |
| Manati Municipio | 80 | $317,221 | n/a | 2 |
| Las Piedras Municipio | 32 | $98,206 | n/a | 4 |
| Aguada Municipio | 32 | $456,810 | n/a | 1 |
| Coamo Municipio | 28 | $52,237 | n/a | 4 |
| Lajas Municipio | 27 | $106,728 | n/a | 5 |
| Adjuntas Municipio | 11 | $87,173 | n/a | 7 |
| Camuy Municipio | 7 | $26,283 | n/a | 3 |
| Culebra Municipio | 2 | $37,480 | n/a | 2 |
| Vieques Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Corozal Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 4 |
| Arroyo Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 4 |
| Las Marias Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 6 |
| San Sebastian Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 4 |
| Vega Alta Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 5 |
| Rio Grande Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Orocovis Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 8 |
| San German Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 6 |
| Yabucoa Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 7 |
| Utuado Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 10 |
| Hormigueros Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Canovanas Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Mayaguez Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Comerio Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 2 |
| Aibonito Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 5 |
| Luquillo Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 4 |
| Naguabo Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 4 |
| Barranquitas Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 4 |
| Cabo Rojo Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 5 |
| San Lorenzo Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 6 |
| Villalba Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 6 |
| Maricao Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 6 |
| Aguas Buenas Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Lares Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 5 |
| Santa Isabel Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 5 |
| Jayuya Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 5 |
| Ceiba Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Toa Alta Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 2 |
| Naranjito Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 5 |
| Sabana Grande Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 6 |
| Caguas Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 2 |
| Cidra Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 1 |
| San Juan Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 1 |
| Salinas Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 5 |
| Barceloneta Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 1 |
| Juncos Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 4 |
| Penuelas Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Gurabo Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 2 |
| Hatillo Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 2 |
| Ciales Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Morovis Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 4 |
| Trujillo Alto Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 1 |
| Juana Diaz Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Florida Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 1 |
| Quebradillas Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 1 |
| Cayey Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Moca Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 2 |
| Isabela Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 1 |
| Vega Baja Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Dorado Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 3 |
| Aguadilla Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 1 |
| Rincon Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 2 |
| Catano Municipio | 0 | $0 | n/a | 2 |
Flood-related FEMA disaster declarations in Puerto Rico
Declarations since 2000 that FEMA lists as involving flooding. "Help for individuals" means FEMA's Individual Assistance was approved for at least part of the area.
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4850-PR | Nov 27, 2024 | Tropical Storm Ernesto | No |
| EM-3610-PR | Aug 13, 2024 | Tropical Storm Ernesto | No |
| DR-4805-PR | Jul 23, 2024 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | No |
| DR-4649-PR | Mar 29, 2022 | Severe Storm, Flooding, and Landslides | Yes |
| DR-4571-PR | Nov 5, 2020 | Severe Storm and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4004-PR | Jul 14, 2011 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides | No |
| DR-1946-PR | Oct 26, 2010 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides Assoc W Ts Otto | No |
| DR-1919-PR | Jun 24, 2010 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-1798-PR | Oct 1, 2008 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1613-PR | Nov 10, 2005 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | No |
| DR-1501-PR | Nov 21, 2003 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides | Yes |
| DR-1396-PR | Nov 28, 2001 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides and Landslides | No |
| DR-1372-PR | May 16, 2001 | Severe Storms, Flooding and Mudslides | Yes |
What to do with this
A county's history doesn't tell you your own building's risk. To see your property's flood zone, use FEMA's flood map lookup. To weigh coverage, start with do I need flood insurance? and what flood insurance costs.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.