Hurricane Erin strengthens offshore, drenches Caribbean with rain
b>Category 5 Hurricane Erin Approaches San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Atlantic’s first storm of the season, Category 5 Hurricane Erin, is intensifying rapidly as it sweeps across the Caribbean. Its powerful winds and torrential rains are expected to overwhelm island communities, but officials say the eyewall will miss the U.S. mainland.
b>Storm Strength and Location
- Maximum sustained winds: 160 mph (255 km/h)
- Current position: 135 mi (215 km) northwest of Anguilla, near the U.S. and British Virgin Islands
- Rapid intensification: achieved Category 5 just 24 hours after becoming Category 1, a trend linked to global warming
b>Warnings and Watches
- Flash flood warning: Saint Thomas and Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Tropical storm watches: St. Martin, St. Barthélemy, Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands
b>Projected Path and Impact
- Short‑term forecast: passage north of the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico over the weekend
- Sunday night: steering east of Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas before weakening
- Rainfall potential: up to six inches (15 cm) in isolated pockets, with local flash flooding, urban inundation, landslides, and mudslides anticipated
- Swell and surf: waves will reach the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the U.S. East Coast early next week, creating life‑threatening surf and rip currents
b>Season Outlook
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a more intense Atlantic hurricane season, with several powerful storms already wreaking havoc in the region last year. While the U.S. coastline may remain clear of Erin, dangerous waves and erosion could still affect places such as North Carolina.
b>Climate and Forecasting Context
Human‑driven climate change—particularly rising sea temperatures from fossil‑fuel combustion—has increased the likelihood of more intense storms and their rapid intensification. Budget cuts and workforce reductions at the National Hurricane Center, driven by political goals to shrink federal bureaucracy, have raised concerns that future storm forecasting could suffer lapses.
