Article
Hurricane Erin Swells, Weakens to Category 3 as Caribbean Braces for Floods and Fierce Winds
Summary
Hurricane Erin weakens to Category 3 but grows in size, lashing Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands with rain and wind. Forecasters warn of rip currents and flooding across the Caribbean and U.S. coast.
Hurricane Erin, the first 2025 Atlantic storm, has been reduced to a Category 3 hurricane after reaching Category 5 intensity over the weekend. While the wind speed is lower, the storm's size has increased significantly, with widespread impacts threatening the Caribbean.
Erin's outer rain bands already battered Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rain, leaving over 147,000 customers in the dark and grounding over 20 flights. The storm is currently west-northwest-bound at 13 mph, with 125-mph winds.
Forecasters warned of tropical storm warnings for the Turks and Caicos Islands and watches for the Southeast Bahamas. The U.S. coastal areas, including North Carolina's Outer Banks, can look forward to rip currents and flooding tides later in the week.
The rapid intensification of the storm—from tropical storm to Category 4 in just 24 hours—has been blamed on climate change, with warmer ocean waters fueling its growth. NOAA's Hurricane Hunters have been flying into Erin's eye, releasing instruments that collect atmospheric data to help refine forecasts.
Though Erin's center will probably remain offshore, its growing size will mean even isolated areas will feel the brunt of rough weather. Puerto Rico and the Bahamas have readied emergency shelters, and seaports have been closed as a precaution.
With the Atlantic hurricane season forecast to be more active than normal, Erin serves as a stark reminder of the volatility of tropical systems and the importance of early preparation.