Tropical Storm Erin intensifies into a Category 2 hurricane, heading towards the northeastern Caribbean region.
Hurricane Erin, a powerful storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 kph), is moving west-northwest at 17 mph (27 kph), according to the latest reports from the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane specialist Michael Lowry predicts that Erin will take a sharp turn northeast, potentially putting it on a path between the U.S. and Bermuda.
As of the hurricane center's 11 p.m. EDT advisory, Hurricane Erin was located 250 miles (405 kilometers) northeast of Anguilla. Tropical storm watches have been issued for Anguilla, Barbuda, St. Martin, St. Barts, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten.
Accuweather predicts that Hurricane Erin will "explode into a powerful Category 4 hurricane" as it moves across very warm waters in the open Atlantic. The warm water temperatures, several degrees higher than the historical average, are providing the necessary conditions for the storm to intensify.
The threat of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the east coast of the United States "appears to be gradually decreasing," according to recent reports. However, the National Hurricane Center has warned of dangerous swells, and waves reaching up to 15 feet (5 meters) along parts of the North Carolina coast could cause beach erosion.
In preparation for the storm, Puerto Rico Housing Secretary Ciary Pérez Peña has inspected 367 shelters that could be opened if needed. The U.S. Coast Guard has also closed six seaports in Puerto Rico and two in the U.S. Virgin Islands to all incoming vessels without prior authorization.
Officials in the Bahamas have prepared some public shelters as a precaution for Hurricane Erin. Aarone Sargent, managing director for the Bahamas' disaster risk management authority, stated that storms can make sudden shifts in movement, so it is important to remain vigilant.
Heavy rains are forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and southern and eastern Puerto Rico. Up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain are expected in these areas, with isolated totals of up to 6 inches (15 centimeters). Dangerous surf and rip currents are also expected to affect the U.S. East Coast next week.
Alex DaSilva, Accuweather’s lead hurricane expert, expects this year's Atlantic hurricane season to be unusually busy, with six to 10 hurricanes and three to five reaching major status. The hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, has already seen several named storms, including Hurricane Erin.
[1] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (n.d.). Hurricane Erin. Retrieved August 16, 2023, from https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2025/erin.shtml
[2] National Hurricane Center. (n.d.). Atlantic Ocean. Retrieved August 16, 2023, from https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/atlantic.shtml
[3] National Hurricane Center. (n.d.). Caribbean Sea. Retrieved August 16, 2023, from https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/caribbean.shtml
[4] National Hurricane Center. (n.d.). Gulf of Mexico. Retrieved August 16, 2023, from https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gulf.shtml
[5] National Hurricane Center. (n.d.). Central Pacific. Retrieved August 16, 2023, from https://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/
[6] National Hurricane Center. (n.d.). Eastern Pacific. Retrieved August 16, 2023, from https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/epac.shtml
- As Accuweather's lead hurricane expert, Alex DaSilva, predicts an unusually busy Atlantic hurricane season with six to 10 hurricanes and three to five reaching major status, the environmental science community must focus on climate-change implications that could exacerbate storm intensities and weather events such as Hurricane Erin.
- In the realm of weather-forecasting and environmental-science, the recent increase in extreme weather events like Hurricane Erin highlights the need for improved climate-change models to accurately predict the path, intensity, and potential impacts of such storms on the environment and coastal communities.
