Abstract
The geographic position of Puerto Rico within the Atlantic basin exposes it to tropical cyclones from June to November. Research about the occurrence of tropical cyclones on the island tends to focus on intense and land-falling systems. Yet, the island and its residents are also at risk from cyclones that are of minor intensity or do not hit the island directly. In this short communication, we present the results of a spatiotemporal analysis of non-land-falling tropical storms and hurricanes near Puerto Rico between 1851 and 2018. We also present examples of the impacts and damage some of those systems have caused on the island and to its residents and argue that it is important to learn about such systems and take them into consideration for cyclone preparedness and management.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Antonio González-Toro for reviewing the manuscript during its development and providing suggestions. The photographs of the impacts of Tropical Storm Eloise and Hurricane Maria (used in Fig. 2) were provided by the Archivo Histórico Municipal de Mayagüez and Raúl O. Ortiz Arroyo (University of Puerto Rico, Sea Grant Program), respectively. Editorial assistance was provided by Christine Sweeney.
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López-Marrero, T., Castro-Rivera, A. Let’s not forget about non-land-falling cyclones: tendencies and impacts in Puerto Rico. Nat Hazards 98, 809–815 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-019-03716-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-019-03716-y