Recent Heavy Rainfall Erases Drought Concerns in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands; Burn Ban Remains for Water Island

Recent rainfall across the region has kept the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico free of drought, with no immediate concerns for drought development. The wet weather has also led to lifting burn bans across the U.S.V.I., except on Water Island, where restrictions remain.

“The islands received a significant amount of rainfall as the early wet season unfolded,” according to information contained in an update released on May 8 the National Integrated Drought Information System, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and numerous partners, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of the Virgin Islands.

Plentiful Precipitation Across the U.S.V.I. and Puerto Rico in April

Atmospheric conditions throughout April created favorable conditions for abundant rainfall. The NIDIS report provided details about the rainfall collected across the region, noting that drought conditions are unlikely to develop anytime soon.

“Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been drought-free since late April 2024 and late February 2024, respectively,” the NIDIS explained. “The onset of the early wet season brought an astonishing amount of rainfall to the territories. In just a 16-day period, areas in the mountains of Puerto Rico collected over 20 inches of rainfall, (and) the rain was so widespread that every location in the islands is currently showing a surplus in precipitation,” the NIDIS stated.