SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Chatnewstv.com) — Hurricane Erin exploded in strength Saturday to a Category 5 storm in Atlantic waters north of the Caribbean, surging from a tropical storm in just 24 hours, the National Hurricane Center said.
Though its center was not forecast to strike land, the hurricane threatened flooding rains in parts of the northeast Caribbean as it grew in size.
By late Saturday morning, Erin’s maximum sustained winds had doubled to 160 mph (255 kph), making it the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025. Mike Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, called it “a very powerful hurricane,” noting its winds gained 60 mph (96 kph) in about nine hours.
The storm remained a Category 5 late Saturday while moving west at 15 mph (24 kph), positioned 135 miles (220 kilometers) northwest of Anguilla. It was expected to pass north of Puerto Rico on Sunday.
Tropical storm watches were issued for St. Martin, St. Barts and St. Maarten. The center warned that heavy rain could trigger flash floods, landslides and mudslides. The Turks and Caicos Islands also fell under a tropical storm watch.
Although compact, with hurricane-force winds extending 30 miles (45 kilometers) from its center, Erin was forecast to double or triple in size over the coming days. Powerful rip currents could reach the U.S. East Coast next week, even as the storm remains far offshore, Brennan said.
Meteorologist Michael Lowry called Erin’s rapid intensification “incredible for any time of year, let alone August 16.” Only four other Category 5 hurricanes have been recorded in the Atlantic that early in the season, he said.
Scientists link such rapid strengthening to warming ocean waters fueled by climate change. “They’re certainly rare,” said Dan Pydynowski, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. “This would mark the fourth year in a row that we’ve had one in the Atlantic basin.”
On the ground in Puerto Rico, locals and tourists went about their routines. Beaches remained busy despite warnings. “The weather looked fine, so we came out,” said Sarahí Torres, visiting from California.
The U.S. government deployed more than 200 federal workers to Puerto Rico, where 367 shelters were prepared, according to Housing Secretary Ciary Pérez Peña. In the Bahamas, officials readied public shelters as a precaution.
“These storms are very volatile and can make sudden shifts in movement,” said Aarone Sargent, managing director of the Bahamas disaster risk management authority.
Forecasters said Erin could begin weakening Monday but is likely to remain a major hurricane well into the week.
