Resources and Tools
CCAN Annual reports
Latest Reports
Description
Read our Annual Reports to learn more about our work to fight climate change in the region.
2023 Annual Report Publications
-
Description
The Caribbean has displayed a capacity to fulfill climate change projections associated with tropical cyclone-related rainfall and flooding. This article describes the hydrometeorological characteristics of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico in September 2022 in terms of measured and interpolated rainfall and observed peak flows relative to previous tropical cyclones from 1899 to 2017. Hurricane Fiona ranks third overall in terms of island-wide total rainfall and fourth in terms of daily rainfall. Maximum daily rainfall during Hurricane Fiona exceeded those previously reported (excluding Hurricane María in 2017) in the eastern interior and eastern portions of the island. In terms of peak flows, no value approached the world’s or Puerto Rico’s flood envelope, although 69% of the observations are considered ‘exceptional’. About 26% and 29% of all peak flows were in the 5–10 year and 10–25 year recurrence interval ranges, respectively, yet none matched the 25-year levels. The highest peak flows were concentrated in the central-eastern and southeastern regions. Even though Hurricane María provoked a more extreme hydrometeorological response, some of Hurricane Fiona’s hydro-meteorological characteristics were among the highest ever recorded in Puerto Rico, particularly for the south-central and eastern portions of the island, and it displayed the island’s current level of vulnerability to extreme rainfall.
-
Description
The future of the island’s coffee farming tradition hangs in the balance. Finding collaborative solutions to revive the industry and withstand the storms must be an urgent priority. The status quo incentivizes monocrop management strategies and leaves little room for farmers to directly provide meaningful input on policies that impact their livelihoods in both the short and the long term. A fundamental change to this system would likely be most effective and empowering if developed through well-organized grassroots efforts co-led by coffee farmers. Looking to Casa Pueblo as an example, we suggest expanding the politicization of messaging regarding coffee farming and creating opportunities for farmers and grassroots organizations to facilitate the development of solutions collaboratively.
-
Description
Méndez-Lazaro, P.A., P. Chardón-Maldonado, L. Carrubba, N. Álvarez-Berríos, M. Barreto, J.H. Bowden, W.I. Crespo-Acevedo, E.L. Diaz, L.S. Gardner, G. Gonzalez, G. Guannel, Z. Guido, E.W. Harmsen, A.J. Leinberger, K. McGinley, P.A. Méndez-Lazaro, A.P. Ortiz, R.S. Pulwarty, L.E. Ragster, I.C. Rivera-Collazo, R. Santiago, C. Santos-Burgoa, and I.M. Vila-Biaggi, 2023: Ch. 23. US Caribbean. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. Crimmins, A.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock, Eds. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA.
Hurricanes, increasingly powerful storms, and rising sea levels are already harming human health, ecosystems, water and food supplies, and critical infrastructure in the US Caribbean, with underserved communities suffering disproportionate impacts. Effective adaptation to support resilience in the region could be enhanced by decentralization, shared governance, and stronger partnerships across the Caribbean region and the US mainland.
NCA5 - Caribbean Chapter Data products and visualization tools
-
CARICOOS Aerosol Monitoring Tool -
Description
This web page brings together coastal ocean data and forecasts from a variety of sources including satellites, ocean instruments and numerical models to give the user an integrated view of past, present and forecasted ocean conditions in the US Caribbean region. Data are provided online by a number of organizations including NOAA, NASA, ONR Universities and others to whom credit is given. Data and graphics, other than NOAA National Weather Service products, are presented as experimental products.
-
USDA Caribbean Climate Hub's Farm Planning Tool -
Description
The Farm Planning Tool shows spatial information of environmental characteristics, planning and future climate scenarios for agricultural and forestry areas. The data included were collected from various state and federal government agencies.
-
SLIDES-PR (PR Landslide Forecast Network) -
Description
Near-real time soil saturation data across the mountainous zones of Puerto Rico.
-
Puerto Rico Agricultural Water Management -
Description
25 hydro-agro-climate results at 1 km resolution for Puerto Rico. Daily, monthly, and yearly data since 2009. Some specific outputs include rainfall, surface runoff, aquifer recharge, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, and soil saturation, solar radiation data, rainfall deficit, crop stress index, drought information, crop water requirements, flood and landslide potential (based on soil saturation), heat index, etc.
-
National Weather Service San Juan Office -
Description
The San Juan forecast office is staffed 24 hours a day with at least one meteorologist and one hydro-meteorological technician. This office provides forecasts for users across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in various climate hazards (wind, rainfall, heat, air quality, tides and currents, etc). One of the major duties in this office is the coordination with the National Hurricane Center and dissemination of products, statements, watches, and warnings during the Hurricane Season. Several times each day, forecasts are prepared in both English and Spanish for use by the general public, broadcast media, and the aviation industry.
-
CARICOOS (Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System) -
Description
This web page brings together coastal ocean data and forecasts from a variety of sources including satellites, ocean instruments and numerical models to give the user an integrated view of past, present and forecasted ocean conditions in the US Caribbean region. Data are provided online by a number of organizations including NOAA, NASA, ONR Universities and others to whom credit is given. Data and graphics, other than NOAA National Weather Service products, are presented as experimental products.
