Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 hurricane Sunday as its outer bands continued to lash the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with heavy rains and tropical-storm force winds.
While Erin's maximum winds diminished, the storm's overall size grew and forecasters issued tropical storm warnings for the Turks and Caicos Islands and a watch for the southeast Bahamas.
The storm wasn't expected to directly impact the U.S. East Coast, but by doubling or tripling in size it could bring rip currents all along the Southeast coast. Gusty winds and flooding tides could wash out parts of the highway that connects the North Carolina Outer Banks by midweek, the National Weather Service said.
Bermuda could have similar conditions as Erin is forecast to turn to the north and then northeast, forecasters said.
Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, reached Category 5 status Saturday with maximum winds of 160 mph (260 kph) before weakening.
The storm's maximum sustained winds were 125 mph (205 kph) late Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The winds decreased as the storm went through internal changes. Erin is expected to remain powerful for the next several days, forecasters said.
“You’re dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It’s a dangerous hurricane in any event,” said Richard Pasch of the National Hurricane Center.
Erin's center was about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 240 miles (385 kilometers) east of the Grand Turk Island, moving west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).
The rain and winds from the outer bands of the storm left about 147,000 customers without power Sunday morning in Puerto Rico, according to Luma Energy, a private company that oversees the transmission and distribution of power on the island. The weather canceled more than 20 flights, officials said.
Swells were also expected to affect portions of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands during the next couple of days, forecasters said.
A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, and in this case, within 24 hours, the hurricane center said. Heavy rain is still expected across the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, with rainfall of 3 to 6 inches (about 7.6 to 15 centimeters), with 8 inches (20 centimeters) in some isolated areas.
The government of the Bahamas also issued a tropical storm watch for the Southeast Bahamas.
Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and is spiking ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly.
