Corozal's local
Taino Indian Cacique (Chief) was named
Orocobix and his tribe was known as the Jatibonicu
Taino. Corozal was founded in 1795 and officially became a town in 1804. Commonly known as
La Cuna del Volibol or ''Volleyball's Cradle
. It takes its name from the Acrocomia media'', in Puerto Rican . Puerto Rico was ceded by
Spain in the aftermath of the
Spanish–American War under the terms of the
Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the
United States. In 1899, the
United States Department of War conducted a
census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Corozal was 11,508. From 1902 to 1905 Corozal became one with
Toa Alta, an adjoining municipality. In
2000 census the population of Corozal was 36,867, and it had a land area of . Intense wind and rainfall from
Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides in Corozal, and bridges and homes were destroyed. Some residents of Corozal had to resort to collecting spring water as access to potable water was limited after the devastation caused by the hurricane. During the event, the police station in Corozal suddenly became flooded by the
Cibuco River while there were nineteen officers inside. The officers climbed up and standing on the rooftop, made a human chain so as not to be swept away by the hurricane winds. Seeing them, several young people began a rescue operation by cutting tree limbs and debris to allow the river to subside just enough. With a firehose in hand, they waded in waters up to their necks and were able to help the officers get to dry land. File:Puerto Rico National Guard (36848158523).jpg|Hurricane Maria relief work in Corozal by the
Puerto Rico National Guard File:Landslides in Corozal, Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Maria in September, 2017.png|Landslides caused by Hurricane Maria in Corozal File:Power outage in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.png|Some of Puerto Rico had power 5 days later ==Geography==