When Hurricane Nora passed offshore Puerto Vallarta as a Category 1 storm in August 2021, it caused significant flooding damage but minimal wind damage. The heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, with the Cuale River flooding reaching over 8 feet deep in places. The flooding damaged bridges, collapsed buildings including the iconic arched La Surtidora del Puente building, and swept away cars and vans. Damage was estimated in the millions of dollars. The flooding impacted downtown and the Romantic Zone along the Cuale River the most. While a damaging storm, Nora did not make direct landfall so wind impacts were much less than a direct hurricane strike would cause. The damage was largely from river flooding, demonstrating the risk heavy rains pose to Puerto Vallarta.
