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 by late Saturday morning.
Erin had developed into a very strong storm, according to Mike Brennen, director of the National storm Center in Miami. He stated that in roughly nine hours on Saturday, its winds increased in strength by 60 mph (96 kph).
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 close enough to land to trigger flooding, landslides
At 2 p.m. on Saturday, the hurricane was 110 miles north of Anguilla and was traveling at 16 mph west. 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.
An `incredible race from tropical storm to Category 5
According to Michael Lowry, a hurricane specialist and storm surge expert, Erin intensified at a rate that was extraordinary for any season, much less August 16.
According to Lowry, there have only been four further Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic since August.
The hurricane season usually peaks around mid-September, with the strongest storms usually developing later in the year.
In October 2005, the National Hurricane Center issued advisories for Hurricane Wilma, which in less than 24 hours grew from a tropical storm to a Category 5 storm. Before making landfall in Florida, Wilma weakened to a Category 3 storm.
According to Dan Pydynowski, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, a private forecasting firm, Erin is one of 43 hurricanes that have ever achieved Category 5 status in the Atlantic.
Pydynowski stated that while Category 5 hurricanes are uncommon, this would be the fourth consecutive year that we have experienced one in the Atlantic basin. Hurricanes need to be far from land, have very warm ocean water, and have little to no wind shear in order to achieve this strength, he said.
Scientists say warming climate linked to storms strengthening faster
Scientists have connected climate change to the Atlantic Ocean’s hurricanes’ fast intensification. Ocean temperatures are rising as a result of the atmosphere holding more water vapor due to global warming. Hurricanes can produce more rain and intensify faster due to the warmer oceans.
Rapidly intensifying storms make it more difficult for meteorologists to forecast and for government organizations to prepare for catastrophes.Additionally, Hurricane Erick, a Pacific storm that hit Oaxaca, Mexico, on June 19, intensified quickly, tripling in strength in less than a day.
The Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1 and ends on November 30, has five named storms, including Erin. It is the first hurricane to form.
Hurricane season in 2025 is predicted to be exceptionally busy. Six to ten hurricanes are predicted, three to five of which are expected to become majors with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph.
On Saturday, as usual, residents and visitors to San Juan went for walks, worked out, and went shopping. Restaurants were crowded, and individuals were observed in the water at Ocean Park and Ultimo Trolley beaches in contravention of the beach closure advisories. However, parents in Puerto Rico did not allow their kids to swim.
Because the sky seemed quiet, Sarah Torres and Joanna Cornejo, who were traveling from California to San Juan for a Bad Bunny show, said they chose to go to the beach and wade into the sea.
We went outside since the weather appeared to be fine, Torres stated.
As a precaution, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other U.S. government agencies sent over 200 personnel to Puerto Rico. According to Ciary P. Rez Pea, the housing secretary for Puerto Rico, 367 shelters have been assessed and are prepared to operate if necessary.
As they encouraged people to follow the cyclone, Bahamas officials said they had set up a few public shelters as a precaution.
According to Aarone Sargent, managing director of the Bahamas disaster risk management organization, these storms are extremely erratic and capable of abrupt movement changes.
By Russ Bynum and Dica Coto
