The Associated Press (AP) reports that Hurricane Erin is bringing more winds to the Caribbean region than previously expected. Island nations are bracing for the possible flooding and landslides.
Erin strengthened into a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean on Saturday and continues to intensify, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm is currently 150 miles northeast of Anguilla with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. It is moving west-northwest at 20 mph.
It is currently not forecast to hit land, but strong winds are affecting nearby islands, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding, landslides and mudslides. The Hurricane Center said it will eventually swerve away from the continental United States.
Tropical storm watches are in place for St. Martin, St. Barts and St. Maarten. “The outer bands of Erin are expected to produce areas of heavy rainfall through Sunday across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico,” the center said. The currently “compact” storm is expected to grow in size in the coming days, resulting in rough ocean waters over the western Atlantic.
Hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said Erin is forecast to eventually take a sharp turn northeast that would put it on a path between the U.S. and Bermuda.
“All of our best consensus aids show Erin turning safely east of the United States next week, but it’ll be a much closer call for Bermuda, which could land on the stronger eastern side of Erin,” he said.
Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, but the first to reach hurricane status. [. . .]
The U.S. government has deployed more than 200 employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to Puerto Rico as a precaution as forecasters issued a flood watch for the entire U.S. territory from late Friday into Monday. [. . .]
For full article, see https://www.npr.org/2025/08/16/nx-s1-5504616/hurricane-erin-caribbean
[Photo above by Alejandro Granadillo/AP: A warning flag flies on the beach as people swim in Condado, Puerto Rico, as Hurricane Erin approaches on Friday.]