Erin becomes first hurricane in the Atlantic this season
Heavy rainfall is expected along the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico through Sunday. Tropical storm force winds may also be seen in these locations. Next week, rip currents are likely along the U.S. Atlantic coastline.Latest Posts
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Los Angeles Times
22 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Hurricane Erin weakens to Category 3 as forecasters wait for northward turn
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 hurricane Sunday as its outer bands continued to lash the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with heavy rains and tropical-storm force winds. While Erin's maximum winds diminished, the storm's overall size grew and forecasters issued tropical storm warnings for the Turks and Caicos Islands and a watch for the southeast Bahamas. The storm wasn't expected to directly impact the U.S. East Coast, but by doubling or tripling in size it could bring rip currents all along the coast. Gusty winds and flooding tides could wash out parts of the highway that connects the North Carolina Outer Banks by midweek, the National Weather Service said. Bermuda could have similar conditions as Erin is forecast to turn to the north and then northeast, forecasters said. Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, reached Category 5 status Saturday with maximum winds of 160 mph before weakening. The storm's maximum sustained winds were 125 mph late Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The winds decreased as the storm went through internal changes. Erin is expected to remain powerful for the next several days, forecasters said. 'You're dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It's a dangerous hurricane in any event,' said Richard Pasch of the National Hurricane Center. Erin's center Sunday afternoon was about 235 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 200 miles east of the Grand Turk Island, moving west-northwest at 13 mph. The rain and winds from the outer bands of the storm left about 147,000 customers without power Sunday morning in Puerto Rico, according to Luma Energy, a private company that oversees the transmission and distribution of power in the U.S. territory. The weather forced the cancellation of more than 20 flights. Swells were expected to affect portions of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Domican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands during the next couple of days, forecasters said. The U.S. Coast Guard allowed all ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to reopen Sunday as winds and rains decreased. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, and in this case, within 24 hours, the hurricane center said. Heavy rain is still expected across the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, with 3 to 6 inches across most areas and 8 inches in isolated spots. The Bahamian government issued a tropical storm watch for the southeast Bahamas. Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and is increasing ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly. Rivera writes for the Associated Press.
NBC News
an hour 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
2 hours 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.
