Saturated soils caused mudslides throughout Puerto Rico , although only one resulted in loss of life . In the hillside community of Mameyes , within Ponce , there was a block slide at around 3:00 am local time on October 7 . A large slab of sandstone detached from a hill , moving about of material down the hill . The intense rainfall triggered the landslide , although pre-existing conditions such as a leaking water main and poor sewage flow likely contributed to the event . The landslide destroyed about 90 houses , killing at least 130 people ; however , the death toll could have been as high as 300 . This made it the deadliest single landslide on record in North America . Many of the homes in Mameyes were poorly built with tin and wood materials , and some were built on stilts . On October 7 , Puerto Rico 's governor Rafael Hernández Colón declared an islandwide state of emergency and activated 300 National Guardsmen to assist in search and rescue operations . Governor Colón sought " technical advice " from Mexico , as the country had experienced a devastating earthquake two weeks prior . The United States Coast Guard flew helicopters into flooded areas to rescue stranded residents , including 18 people along a hill in the western portion of the island . About $ 10 million in emergency funds was allocated by Puerto Rico 's legislature , of which $ 1 million was distributed among the most affected families with $ 300 checks . The American Red Cross deployed a team of 15 people to Puerto Rico , who specialized in damage assessment , health services , or other services . After the storm , the Puerto Rico 's government created a Rainfall-Runoff Alert Network , designed to predict flash flooding in advance , in conjunction with the National Weather Service , the United States Geological Survey , and the territory 's Department of Natural Resources
devastating earthquake
1985 Mexico City earthquake
1985 Puerto Rico floods