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The Hill
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Hill
Erin becomes a Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean as region braces for flooding
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Erin strengthened into a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean on Saturday and continues to intensify, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm is currently 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Anguilla with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 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, landslides and mudslides. The Hurricane Center said it will eventually swerve away from the continental United States. Tropical storm watches are in place for St. Martin, St. Barts and St. Maarten. 'The outer bands of Erin are expected to produce areas of heavy rainfall through Sunday across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico,' the center said. The currently 'compact' storm is expected to grow in size in the coming days, resulting in rough ocean waters over the western Atlantic. 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. Protruding U.S. coastal areas — such as North Carolina's Outer Banks, Long Island, New York, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts — face a higher risk of direct and potentially severe tropical storm or hurricane conditions than much of the southern Atlantic, mid-Atlantic and northern New England coasts, Accuweather 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. 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.
Arab Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- Arab Times
Hurricane Erin strengthens into Category 2 storm
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Aug 16, (AP): Hurricane Erin strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Friday as it approached the northeast Caribbean, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding and landslides. The storm is expected to remain over open waters, although tropical storm watches were issued for Anguilla, Barbuda, St Martin, St Barts, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten. Heavy rains were forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the US and British Virgin Islands and southern and eastern Puerto Rico. 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. The hurricane center also warned of dangerous swells but said the threat of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the east coast of the United States "appears to be gradually decreasing.' The storm was located 250 miles (405 kilometers) northeast of Anguilla as of the hurricane center's 11 p.m. EDT advisory. It had maximum sustained wind speeds of 100 mph (160 kph) and was moving west north-west at 17 mph (27 kph). 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 US 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 Atlantic season's first hurricane. It is forecast to become a major Category 3 storm late this weekend and pass some 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Puerto Rico. The US 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 US 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 US 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.
NBC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- NBC News
Hurricane Erin strengthens into a Category 2 storm as it approaches the northeast Caribbean
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Erin strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Friday as it approached the northeast Caribbean, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding and landslides. The storm is expected to remain over open waters, although tropical storm watches were issued for Anguilla, Barbuda, St. Martin, St. Barts, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten. Heavy rains were forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and southern and eastern Puerto Rico. Up to 4 inches are expected, with isolated totals of up to 6 inches, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane center also warned of dangerous swells but said the threat of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the east coast of the United States 'appears to be gradually decreasing.' The storm was located 250 miles northeast of Anguilla as of the hurricane center's 11 p.m. EDT advisory. It had maximum sustained wind speeds of 100 mph and was moving west north-west at 17 mph. 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 Atlantic season's first hurricane. It is forecast to become a major Category 3 storm late this weekend and pass some 200 miles north of Puerto Rico. 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. Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected to affect the U.S. East Coast next week, with waves reaching up to 15 feet (5 meters) along parts of the North Carolina coast that could cause beach erosion, according to Accuweather. '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. Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. 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.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Climate
- Boston Globe
Erin becomes a hurricane, bring concerns of flooding and landslides
Heavy rains were forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the US and British Virgin Islands and southern and eastern Puerto Rico. Up to 4 inches are expected, with isolated totals of up to 6 inches, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Advertisement The hurricane center also warned of dangerous swells but said the threat of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the east coast of the United States 'appears to be gradually decreasing.' The storm was located about 365 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour and was moving west-northwest at 17 miles per hour. 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 United States 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. Advertisement Erin is the Atlantic season's first hurricane. The US 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 US 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 US Coast Guard said Friday that it closed six seaports in Puerto Rico and two in the US 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. The latest forecasts continue to suggest Erin will probably pass offshore next week, though there are still some questions as to how far offshore — and how close to North Carolina's Outer Banks — it will be. While direct impacts are unlikely, the East Coast isn't out of the woods: Dangerous rip currents, big waves, and rough seas are likely from Florida to Maine next week. '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. Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Advertisement This year's season is once again
