Hurricane Erin swells to strong Category 5 storm in the Caribbean

Published On: August 19, 2025

By RUSS BYNUM and D NICA COTO, The Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Erin quickly gained strength from a tropical storm to a Category 5 storm in the Caribbean on Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The core of the compact storm was not predicted to make landfall, but as it became larger, it posed a hazard of flooding rainfall across the northeast Caribbean.

In just one day, Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane. Its maximum sustained winds more than doubled to 160 mph (255 kph) by late Saturday morning.

Erin had developed into a very strong storm, according to Mike Brennen, director of the National storm Center in Miami. In roughly nine hours on Saturday, he claimed, the winds increased in speed to 60 mph.

In an online briefing, Brennan stated, “We anticipate seeing Erin peak here in intensity fairly soon.”

As the storm experiences more wind shear and potentially absorbs more dry air, the Hurricane Center predicted that Erin would become slightly weaker late Saturday or early Sunday. But according to forecasters, it will continue to be a powerful hurricane until the middle of the week.

Erin could trigger flooding, landslides

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, the hurricane was traveling west at 16 mph and was 110 miles north of Anguilla. The National Weather Service predicted that the storm’s center would stay at sea and pass 145 miles north of Puerto Rico.

Erin was near enough to have an impact on neighboring islands. St. Martin, St. Barts, and St. Maarten were under tropical storm watches. The Hurricane Center issued a warning that flash flooding, mudslides, and landslides could occur in some places due to heavy rainfall.

In the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, wind gusts of tropical storm force are probable.

Despite being small, with hurricane-force winds 30 miles out from its center, the Hurricane Center predicted that Erin will double or even triple in size over the next few days.

Although Erin’s eye is predicted to stay far offshore, Brennan warned that it might produce strong rip currents off the U.S. East Coast next week from Florida to the mid-Atlantic.