Executive Summary: Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 storm on Sunday, August 17, 2025, but continued to threaten the Caribbean and U.S. East Coast with dangerous surf and rip currents. Forecasters warned the hurricane is growing in size and expected to remain powerful, prompting evacuations in North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Who: Hurricane Erin, the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, has drawn responses from government officials and residents across the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami is leading storm tracking, while local authorities in affected regions, including Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi and Dare County, North Carolina, emergency management, are implementing safety measures.
What: After rapidly intensifying into a Category 5 hurricane on Saturday with peak winds of 160 mph (260 kph), Erin weakened to Category 3 status by Sunday afternoon, with sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph). Despite the reduction in wind speed, the storm is undergoing significant expansion, increasing its radius of dangerous conditions. Forecasters emphasize that Erin remains a major hurricane capable of severe damage.
When: The downgrade occurred on Sunday, August 17, 2025, following its Category 5 peak on Saturday. The storm’s impacts, including heavy rainfall and tropical-storm-force winds, began affecting Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Sunday and are projected to persist through midweek along the U.S. coast.
Where: As of Sunday, Erin was positioned 310 miles (500 km) northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 155 miles (245 km) east-northeast of Grand Turk Island. The storm’s influence extends across the northeastern Caribbean, with tropical storm warnings active for the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas. Swells are expected to reach Hispaniola, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and eventually the U.S. Eastern seaboard.
Why: The temporary weakening resulted from internal structural changes, but the NHC anticipates Erin will regain strength due to favorable atmospheric conditions. Scientists attribute the storm’s rapid intensification to climate change, noting that warmer ocean temperatures and increased atmospheric moisture are amplifying hurricane intensity and growth.
How: Erin is advancing west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph), with a projected turn toward the north and northeast. The storm’s growth means hurricane-force winds now extend 35 miles (55 km) from its center, and tropical-storm-force winds reach 175 miles (280 km), broadening its destructive potential. This expansion heightens risks even without direct landfall.
Impact: Puerto Rico reported 147,000 power outages and widespread flight cancellations. Coastal flooding and road washouts occurred in municipalities like Naguabo and Guayama. In the U.S., Dare County, North Carolina, issued a mandatory evacuation for Hatteras Island starting Monday, anticipating that prolonged surf and wind could erode or inundate parts of Highway 12, the sole transit route. The NHC warns of life-threatening rip currents from Florida to Maine.
What’s next: Erin is predicted to intensify over the next two days, with a northeast trajectory keeping it offshore but generating dangerous marine conditions. Bermuda may experience high surf by midweek. Authorities across the Eastern U.S. are advising beachgoers to avoid the water and residents in vulnerable areas to follow evacuation orders. Meanwhile, scientists stress that Erin exemplifies climate change’s role in escalating hurricane threats.