Residents in northern Puerto Rico witnessed a rare tornado sweep across the city of Arecibo on Sunday as severe thunderstorms rattled the island during the afternoon hours. Several views of the swirling vortex emerged across social media from locals who captured footage of the flying debris and downed palm tree fronds.

After crews surveyed the damage on Sunday, forecasters with the National Weather Service office in the capital city of San Juan gave the twister a preliminary rating of an EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, defined by winds ranging between 86 and 110 mph. Further damage assessments will continue to compile more information about the event and the final rating of the tornado may change.

“Tornadoes are a rarity in Puerto Rico. The island is far more prone to hurricanes, having been severely impacted by storms such as Maria and Irma in 2017,” stated AccuWeather Meteorologist Thomas Geiger. On average, the island is impacted by a tropical cyclone once every year or two. The last recorded tornadic event in Puerto Rico was in September of 2019.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s storm events database, there have been a total of 21 confirmed tornadoes that occurred in Puerto Rico since 1950.