Powerful Hurricane Erin Threatens Caribbean and Coastal Islands with Record Winds, Flooding, and Surf Hazards
Hurricane Erin reached Category 3 status Sunday morning, recording sustained winds of 125 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tropical storm-force winds extended up to 205 miles from the storm’s center, signaling a large and dangerous system moving through the Atlantic north of the Caribbean.
Hurricane Erin surged to Category 5, one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes, threatening Puerto Rico, the Leeward Islands, and Atlantic surf zones.
Cira/NOAA/Reuters
The hurricane continues to fluctuate in intensity as it undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle, a process that expands the storm’s windfield. Erin briefly became a Category 5 hurricane Saturday with near 160 mph winds before weakening slightly. The storm’s rapid evolution marks one of the fastest-strengthening hurricanes on record, intensifying from a Category 1 with 75 mph winds on Friday morning to Category 5 just over 24 hours later.
Rapid intensification occurs when a hurricane gains at least 35 mph in wind speed within 24 hours. Extreme cases like Erin historically appear later in the season, but warming oceans and atmospheric conditions are causing more Atlantic storms to undergo swift intensification, highlighting trends in a warming world.
Erin is now one of only 43 Category 5 hurricanes recorded in the Atlantic, and the 11th since 2016. Early-season Category 5 storms remain rare, particularly outside the Gulf of Mexico, making Erin notable for its timing in mid-August. The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season marks the fourth consecutive season with a Category 5 hurricane, following Beryl and Milton in 2024.
Forecasts indicate that Erin will pass north of Puerto Rico and curve north-northeast into the open Atlantic, avoiding direct landfall. The storm is expected to double or triple in size next week, creating life-threatening surf and rip currents along the Bahamas, U.S. East Coast, and Atlantic Canada.
As of Saturday evening, Erin was approximately 150 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 160 miles northwest of Anguilla. Flash flood warnings remain active for northern Puerto Rico, while tropical storm watches continue for parts of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Leeward Islands. Heavy rainfall, flash flooding, landslides, and mudslides remain likely in the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
Wind speeds near 150 mph as of Saturday night indicate the hurricane’s continued strength. Forecasts show fluctuations in intensity over the weekend, with weakening expected to begin Monday. The storm’s expansive windfield could create rough coastal conditions even in areas not directly in its path.
Monitoring Hurricane Erin remains critical as it tracks north over the western Atlantic, presenting potential risks for Caribbean islands and coastal regions in the coming week.
