Caribbean braces for onslaught of inaugural Atlantic hurricane of the year
Hurricane Erin Impacts Caribbean and Puerto Rico
Hurricane Erin, the first storm of the 2025 Atlantic season, has been making its way across the Caribbean, causing significant impacts in certain islands and territories.
The hurricane was located approximately 750 kilometers from the Leeward Islands on Friday and has been tracking northeast from the Caribbean. Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the British Virgin Islands have been advised to monitor its development by the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Puerto Rico experienced heavy rain and strong winds as Erin passed northeast of the island. At its peak, the storm reached Category 5 status with wind speeds of up to 160 mph, causing flooding, dangerous rip currents, and wind-related damage along coastal areas.
Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis were skirted by Erin’s path, which remained offshore to the east and northeast of these islands. While these islands could have experienced increased swell, gusty winds, and some rain due to its proximity, they did not face severe impacts or direct landfall.
The U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands were not directly hit by Hurricane Erin. The storm tracked northeast from the Caribbean, remaining largely east of these islands. They likely faced elevated sea conditions and possibly some tropical-storm-force winds or rain but no major hurricane damage.
As Hurricane Erin continues to move westward, it is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane over the weekend. Preparations in these islands would have focused on monitoring official advisories for changing hurricane trajectories, securing property and infrastructure against strong winds and flooding, preparing for coastal flooding risk and dangerous surf conditions, and being alert for possible tropical storm or hurricane watches or warnings as the storm evolved.
In summary, Hurricane Erin’s main direct impact among the islands listed was heavy rain and strong winds in Puerto Rico, while the other islands experienced mostly indirect effects like dangerous swells and gusty winds without landfall or catastrophic damage. Standard hurricane readiness steps would have been crucial given the potential for sudden track or intensity changes typical of such storms.
[1] National Hurricane Center (NHC) [2] Weather Channel
- The heavy rain and strong winds that Puerto Rico experienced from Hurricane Erin are related to the environmental science and climate-change discussions, as such weather events can be influenced by these factors.
- As Hurricane Erin has the potential to strengthen into a major hurricane, it becomes essential to study its impacts on the weather patterns, which falls under the purview of science and climate-change research, to predict and prepare for future storms.
