Erin becomes a Category 3 hurricane in the Caribbean and is expected to strengthen further
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Erin became a Category 3 hurricane in the Caribbean early Saturday and is expected to strengthen further during the day, the National Hurricane Center reported.
The storm is currently 170 miles (275 kilometers) northeast of Anguilla with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph). It is moving west-northwest at 20 mph (31 kph).
It is currently not forecast to hit land, but strong winds are affecting nearby islands, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding and landslides.. The NHC said it currently expected Erin to become a Category 4 storm later Saturday but to eventually swerve away from the continental United States.
Tropical storm watches are in place for St. Martin and St. Barthelemy and Sint Maarten. Up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) are expected, with isolated totals of up to 6 inches (15 centimeters), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
'Locally, considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides, are possible,' the NHC said.
Hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said Erin is forecast to eventually take a sharp turn northeast that would put it on a path between the U.S. and Bermuda.
'All of our best consensus aids show Erin turning safely east of the United States next week, but it'll be a much closer call for Bermuda, which could land on the stronger eastern side of Erin,' he said.
Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, but the first to reach hurricane status.
'Erin is forecast to explode into a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it moves across very warm waters in the open Atlantic. Water temperatures at the surface and hundreds of feet deep are several degrees higher than the historical average,' said Alex DaSilva, Accuweather's lead hurricane expert.
This year's season is once again expected to be unusually busy. The forecast calls for six to 10 hurricanes, with three to five reaching major status with winds of more than 110 mph (177 kph).
The U.S. government has deployed more than 200 employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to Puerto Rico as a precaution as forecasters issued a flood watch for the entire U.S. territory from late Friday into Monday.
Puerto Rico Housing Secretary Ciary Pérez Peña said 367 shelters have been inspected and could be opened if needed.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday that it closed six seaports in Puerto Rico and two in the U.S. Virgin Islands to all incoming vessels unless they had received prior authorization.
Meanwhile, officials in the Bahamas said they prepared some public shelters as a precaution as they urged people to track the hurricane.
'These storms are very volatile and can make sudden shifts in movement,' said Aarone Sargent, managing director for the Bahamas' disaster risk management authority.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
27 minutes ago
- NBC News
Thousands without power in Puerto Rico as Hurricane Erin pummels region
Nearly 155,000 utility customers are without power in Puerto Rico as Category 3 Hurricane Erin batters the Caribbean, bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 'The adverse weather has caused multiple interruptions across the island,' Luma Energy, a power company in Puerto Rico, said on X. 'Our teams continue to work to address each situation as quickly and safely as possible.' Meanwhile, two divers who were swept away by dangerous surf near St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands had to be rescued by local crews on Sunday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Video of the rescue by St. Croix Rescue Chief Jason Henry showed the divers being pulled onto a boat. And on the island of St. Martin, video shows palm trees swaying in strong winds Saturday. Erin has been fluctuating in intensity over the past several days, and the now-Category 3 storm is expected to strengthen yet again. As of 11 a.m. ET Sunday, Erin was 200 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. It is moving west-northwest at around 13 mph. Outer bands continue to sweep over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches, with up to 6 inches likely in some areas, will be possible and could lead to flash flooding or mudslides. At a news briefing Sunday morning, Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón advised residents to stay home if they can. While there are no reports of flooding on the island so far, the worst weather is expected to impact the region within the next six hours, officials said at the briefing. González-Colón said there were currently no residents in shelters and no reports of flooding so far, but flash flooding remains a concern. She asked residents to stay home if possible. The hurricane is forecast to once again become a Category 4 later Sunday before taking a northerly turn on Monday and Tuesday. It's forecast to gradually weaken through the middle and latter half of the workweek as it passes between the U.S. and Bermuda. This would be the latest fluctuation in an already volatile storm. Erin rapidly exploded from a Category 2 storm on Friday to a massive Category 5 overnight, before weakening gradually to a Category 3 by Sunday morning. 'Some fluctuation in intensity are likely over the next couple of days, but Erin is expected to remain a dangerous major hurricane through the middle of this week,' the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 a.m. ET update on Sunday. The storm is also expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents along the East Coast and Atlantic Canada during the week. In Puerto Rico's Sierra Bayamón neighborhood, a suspension insulator broke and a conductor fell to the ground due to inclement weather conditions, Luma Energy said on Facebook. Crews are on the ground were working to repair the line on Sunday morning. Luma Energy advised the public to avoid walking or driving through flooded areas, especially near downed power lines.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erin's outer rainbands pound Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph as its outer bands pounded the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with gusty winds and heavy rains on Sunday. The U.S. East Coast is forecast to have rough ocean conditions through the middle of the week, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm is moving westerly at 13 mph in warm waters as Erin grows in size and could affect the East Coast this week, the NHC reported in an 11 a.m. EDT update. "The track guidance is in good agreement on the northward turn but there are differences in how close the hurricane will come to the U.S. East Coast in the 72-hour time frame," NHC forecaster Pasch said in a discussion. The storm was located about 200 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and about 240 miles east of Grand Turk Island after passing the Leeward Islands on Saturday. The season's first Atlantic hurricane reached Category 5 status Saturday morning, the highest in the class, after rapidly intensifying overnight. It became a Category 1 hurricane on Friday, the year's fifth named storm. Erin dropped to a Category 4 and then a 3 overnight into Sunday, but remained a major hurricane. If winds reach 130 mph, Erin would be listed as a Category 4 hurricane. "Since the large-scale environment is expected to be favorable for about another day, re-strengthening is possible during that time period," NHC forecaster John Cangialsi. "However, it should be noted that predicting the intensity evolution from internal dynamics are challenging, and models often provide Little reliability in their solutions." There is a tropical storm warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands and a tropical storm watch is in effect for the southeast Bahamas. Hurricane-force winds extend up to 25 miles from the center, and tropical-force ones up to 205 miles. The storm was skirting Puerto Rico rather than hitting it directly. Erin's motion is expected to decrease in forward speed on Sunday, followed by a gradual turn to the north on Monday and Tuesday, NHC said. On the forecast track, Erin's core is projected to pass to the east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas on Sunday and Monday. By Thursday, the storm is forecast to be a few hundred miles west of Bermuda and just outside the big tracking cone. Erin is then forecast to travel north hundreds of miles from the East Coast. Erin's outer bands will produce rainfall of 3 to 6 inches across the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, with isolated totals of up to 8 inches. "Locally considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides, are possible," NHC said. Also, swells will affect those places, as well as Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands, during the next couple of days, the agency said. "Erin is expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents along the beaches of the Bahamas, much of the East Coast of the U.S., Bermuda, and Atlantic Canada during the next several days," Cangialsi said. He said interests along the North Carolina and mid-Atlantic coasts, as well are Bermuda "should monitor the progress of Erin as there is a risk of strong winds associated with the outer rainbands during the middle of next week." Erin became the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic storm season on Friday. There have been four named storms so far this season in the Atlantic. Tropical Storm Chantal caused major flooding in North Carolina but has been the only of the four to make landfall in the United States this year. The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ends on Nov. 30. The peak hurricane season goes from mid-August through September and into mid-October. Ninety-three percent of hurricane landfalls along the U.S. Gulf Coast and the East Coast have occurred from August through October, the Weather Channel reported in citing data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Last year at this time, there also had been five named storms.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Life-Threatening' Damage Expected to Hit Several Areas, Despite Hurricane Erin's Downgrade to Category 3 Storm
Hurricane Erin reached a catastrophic Category 5 status before weakening early morning on Sunday, Aug. 17 NEED TO KNOW On Sunday, Aug. 17, Hurricane Erin was downgraded to a Category 3 storm after previously reaching a catastrophic Category 5 status According to the National Hurricane Center, the hurricane is still expected to produce "life-threatening" conditions in several areas Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Turks and Caicos Islands and Puerto Rico before possibly reaching in the Southeast Bahamas tonight Hurricane Erin remains a threat to life despite no longer being a Category 5 storm. Early morning on Sunday, Aug. 17, the National Hurricane Center downgraded Hurricane Erin as wind speeds eased, according to Reuters and NPR. The tropical storm is still expected to bring poor weather conditions to several locations. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in an updated report that heavy rainfall will continue throughout Puerto Rico, while diminishing over the Virgin Islands today. This will pose a risk of flash flooding and landslides, or mudslides. The Turks and Caicos Islands are also likely to be hit before the tropical storm moves through the Bahamas from Sunday evening through Tuesday, Aug. 19. "Erin is expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents along the beaches of the Bahamas, much of the East Coast of the U.S., Bermuda, and Atlantic Canada during the next several days," according to the report. The storm's rapid intensification makes it "one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes on record, and potentially the fastest intensification rate for any storm earlier than September 1," CNN reported. The level of intensification typically happens in September and October, according to the outlet. Rapid intensification is when a hurricane gains at least 35 mph of sustained winds in 24 hours, per NOAA. Erin began as a tropical storm that swept through the Cape Verde Islands on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The heavy rainfall and flooding "overwhelmed emergency services and cut key roads' in the island located off of West Africa, resulting in nine deaths and 1500 displaced, Reuters reported. The National Hurricane Center warned that the storm was expected to strengthen as it passed over warm Caribbean waters, according to NPR. By Friday, Aug. 15, the storm had strengthened into a hurricane. This storm comes nearly eight years after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico as a category 4 storm, killing more than 3,000 people and causing an estimated $90 billion in damages. Maria struck on Sept. 20, 2017, and quickly became the first hurricane of its strength to hit the island since 1932. Torrential downpour and violent winds ravaged the electrical grid and sent thousands fleeing to the mainland. Months later, businesses struggled to recover, and residents had difficulty obtaining basic necessities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was heavily criticized after failures resulted in only half of the island able to access clean drinking water, among other essentials. Ramón A. Paez Marte, of Canóvanas, told NBC News in 2018 that at least seven people he knew died in the hurricane's aftermath, including a man in his 30s, who had been rescuing stranded elderly residents. 'He didn't even last one month,' Paez Marte said of the young man. 'He had a wound and when he dove into the flood waters trying to help people, I guess it caught a really bad infection and they couldn't cure it.' According to findings from The New York Times, more than one million people requested help from the agency — and 58 percent were denied. 'We all have some sort of [post-traumatic stress disorder]. It's a trauma,' San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto told ABC News in 2018. 'It's not a shock, it's a trauma.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. In February of 2018, the Senate reached a two-year budget deal that awarded Puerto Rico almost $16 billion in aid. However, the number falls short of the $94.4 billion figure that officials said they needed to rebuild the island and prevent future devastation, per The New York Times. Years later, in 2022, Hurricane Fiona also made landfall in Puerto Rico, bringing 'catastrophic and life-threatening flooding' as the slow-moving Category 1 storm dumped trillions of gallons of water on the island. Read the original article on People
