Tropical Storm Erin set to become first hurricane of the season as US Virgin Islands prepare for the worst
Officials in the U.S. Virgin Islands said territory-wide sandbag distribution for hurricane season was set to begin in a matter of days, but with Tropical Storm Erin spinning across the Atlantic Ocean, those plans were accelerated.
'Due to the projected impact of Tropical Storm Erin on the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA), in partnership with the Virgin Islands Fire and Emergency Services, the Department of Public Works, the Office of ADA Coordinator, and the Department of Human Services, has accelerated the territory-wide sandbag distribution program,' officials said in a Facebook post.
'While the exact impact of Tropical Storm Erin remains uncertain at this time, VITEMA is taking proactive measures to ensure all residents have access to critical hurricane preparedness resources before the storm's arrival.'
Officials said this accelerated distribution represents the only sandbag distribution for the 2025 hurricane season.
6 This image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Tropical Storm Erin on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025.
AP
'We strongly encourage all residents to take advantage of this opportunity to protect their homes and property,' officials said.
Hurricane Hunters are set to fly into Tropical Storm Erin on Thursday to try and get a better understanding of the organizing storm, which forecasters say could become a major hurricane (Category 3 or greater) over the weekend.
This comes after the storm, which was first dubbed Invest 97L, caused several deaths in the Cabo Verde Islands off the coast of Africa.
6 The US Virgin Islands are accelerating their sandbag distribution because of Tropical Storm Erin.
Mario Hoesel – stock.adobe.com
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Tropical Storm Erin had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, and strengthening was set to begin later on Wednesday afternoon or on Wednesday night.
It's expected to become a hurricane by Friday.
Tropical Storm Erin is located more than 1,300 miles to the east of the northern Leeward Islands and is moving off to the west at 17 mph.
6 Major strengthening is likely with Tropical Storm Erin.
FOX Weather
The NHC said that general motion was expected to continue into Thursday, with a west-northwestward motion starting on Thursday night and continuing into the weekend.
On that track, the NHC said the center of Tropical Storm Erin is likely to move near or just north of the northern Leeward Islands over the weekend.
'Interests in the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico should monitor the progress of Erin,' the NHC said.
6 Jack Beven, Senior Hurricane Specialist, tracks Tropical Storm Erin on August 13, 2025 at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.
Getty Images
Swells generated by Tropical Storm Erin are expected to begin impacting portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by this weekend.
Those swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions at local beaches.
At least 7 dead in Cabo Verde islands
Before becoming Tropical Storm Erin, the system brought torrential rain and thunderstorms to the Cabo Verde, or Cape Verde, islands when it was Invest 97L.
6 Swells generated by Tropical Storm Erin are expected to begin impacting portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by this weekend.
John – stock.adobe.com
Local officials said at least seven people, including children, were killed.
'The Ministry of Education expresses its deepest sorrow for the tragic loss of seven lives, including four children, on the island of São Vincent,' the Ministry of Education said in a translated Facebook post. The Ministry went on to say 'in this time of mourning and dismay, the pain of the bereaved families is the pain of the entire nation.'
6 Lisa Bucci, Hurricane Specialist, works near screens showing Tropical Storm Erin as they continue to track its progress on August 13, 2025 at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.
Getty Images
Government officials said they declared two days of national mourning due to the loss of human lives and significant material damage caused by the passage of the system.
National Hurricane Center monitoring two other areas across the basin
Forecasters at the NHC have also highlighted a disturbance in the northern Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea for development, but chances for further organization remain low.
The disturbance in the North Atlantic is heading away from the U.S. while the disturbance in parts of the Caribbean and the Gulf will see a significant amount of land interaction, limiting its organization.
Over the weekend, a few scattered showers may make it into the Brownsville, Texas region, but accumulations are expected to remain below one inch.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
29 minutes ago
- Axios
Hurricane Erin strengthens to Category 5
Hurricane Erin has intensified to a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds near 160 mph, per the National Hurricane Center. Threat level: An earlier advisory from the hurricane center was already forecasting "life-threatening surf and rip currents," and a new advisory is expected later Saturday afternoon. The storm is forecast to produce heavy rainfall through Sunday, with those dangerous surf and rip currents impacting areas along the East Coast, Bahamas' beaches and Atlantic Canada next week, per the National Hurricane Center. The latest: Erin, which on Friday was at a Category 1, was over the Atlantic Ocean, northeast of the Caribbean islands, as of 11 a.m. Saturday. It was moving toward the west near 17mph, a direction it is expected to continue in this afternoon, turn toward west/ northwest Saturday night and decrease in forward speed, turning toward the north next week. "Interests in Bermuda should continue to monitor the progress of Erin since there is a risk of strong winds, heavy rainfall, and high surf by the middle part of next week," the National Hurricane Center said. Zoom in: Hurricanes are categorized by wind speed on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which deems a Category 5 storm one with 157 mph sustained winds or higher. That means "catastrophic damage will occur" including a high percentage of framed homes destroyed, downed trees and power poles and power outages lasting weeks or months, per the wind scale.
30 minutes ago
Hurricane Erin intensifies to rare Category 5 hurricane
As of Saturday morning, Hurricane Erin had strengthened into a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of up to 160 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
CBS News
30 minutes ago
- CBS News
How Hurricane Erin exploded in strength and became a major Atlantic hurricane
Erin has strengthened into a powerful Category 5 hurricane in the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said Saturday. The hurricane is not forecast to hit land, but strong winds are affecting nearby islands, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding and landslides. The storm will eventually swerve away from the continental United States, the Miami-based hurricane center said. Erin began as a tropical storm, became a hurricane Friday and quickly intensified overnight Saturday. Here's how the storm became so powerful. On Friday morning, Erin was only a tropical storm. It underwent rapid intensification, which means the storm's maximum sustained winds strengthened at least 58 miles per hour in a 24-hour window, overnight. Erin has low wind shear and a tight, compact core. Those features, combined with its path over very warm water, create the "perfect conditions for rapid intensification," said CBS News weather producer David Parkinson. Sea surface temperatures over 85 degrees Fahrenheit and warmer than normal. 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. 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. Erin formed as a tropical storm on Monday west of the island nation of Cabo Verde, a few hundred miles off Africa's western coast. It is the fifth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which started June 1 and runs through November 30. Tropical Storm Chantal is the only one storm to have made landfall in the U.S., bringing deadly flooding to North Carolina in early July. In June, Barry made landfall as a tropical depression on Mexico's eastern coast. Forecasters could see conditions were ripe for Erin to become an extremely powerful storm as it moved 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).
