Tropical wave dumps rain in island’s east, aiding overtaxed water supply
By THE STAR STAFF
Puerto Rico received rainfall on Tuesday courtesy of a tropical wave that dumped heavy showers in the eastern part of the island and lesser showers in the San Juan metro area.
As of noon, one to two inches of rain had fallen in Humacao, San Lorenzo and Aguas Buenas.
By itself the welcome precipitation was not enough to break the drought plaguing the island, said María Novoa, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in San Juan.
But development of the tropical wave is promising, with a 30% chance of the wave developing into a tropical cyclone over the next week, she said.
The locally heavy rains were accompanied in a few places by thunderstorms on Tuesday.
A customer service specialist from the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, who asked not be identified, said the rain in the east was making an appreciable addition to the drought-stricken water supply system in the region.
Another low pressure area with a 70% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone was located 500 miles southwest of the island and is expected to develop into a tropical depression later this week.
Novoa said models of that system did not yet show how the storm will affect Puerto Rico.
In the west of the island, meanwhile, Añasco, Cabo Rojo, Hormigueros and Mayagüez were under a flood advisory until 4 p.m. Tuesday according to the NWS.
Doppler radar detected heavy rain associated with thunderstorms, with accumulations of between one and two inches in the municipalities under the advisory, the NWS reported. The agency indicated that an additional one to two inches of rain was expected, which could cause urban flooding, rises in small streams, and water accumulation in areas that typically remain dry.
The NWS saw fit to warn that water accumulation in urban areas was already occurring or imminent and urged the public to remain aware of their surroundings and avoid driving on flooded roads.
