“Erin will be a massive, powerful hurricane this weekend, extending across the Southwest Atlantic Sea,” the National Hurricane Centre said.
How to prepare for a hurricane
It’s important to take these steps before the hurricane season.
Hurricane Erin was formed in the Atlantic on August 15th, and it was the first hurricane of the 2025 season and got it back on track to become a major hurricane over the weekend, predictors said.
Erin was in a hurricane before 11am, 11am and was moving quickly, the National Hurricane Centre said. At 2pm EST, it was located about 415 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, travelling about 17 miles across West Northwest. That wind was recorded at 75 mph with higher gusts, surpassing 74 mph, which should be classified as a Category 1 hurricane.
“At this point, we don’t expect to hit the US directly. Just to be safe, we still need to watch,” said Alex Dasilva, Accuweather’s lead hurricane expert. “We expect the entire East Coast to be affected by big waves, RIP currents next week.”
It was still too early for the Bahamas and Bermuda to determine exactly how Erin would affect the US East Coast, predictors said. A rough wave condition and rift flow may be available for the Atlantic basin, which may be a tropical storm in Puerto Rico and the Leeward Islands. Experts urged people to prepare in advance for the impact of a potential hurricane.
The Tropical Stormwatch was maintained on August 15th for the islands of Anguilla, Barbuda, San Martin, St. Barthelmy, Sabah, Sint Eustatius and Sint Marten.
Other impacts on the land include 10-15 feet of waves along the outer bank, flash floods and landslides in North Carolina and southern Virginia, Puerto Rico, and gusts of winds of 60-80 mph in Bermuda.
Erin is predicted to become a major hurricane defined as a storm in category 3 or above. Wind speeds for major hurricanes are above 110 mph, and Accuweather predicts that Erin could have winds of at least 130 mph, making it a Category 4 storm.
“Regardless of the details, Erin will be a massive, powerful hurricane in the Southwest Atlantic this weekend,” the National Hurricane Centre said in a morning update.
The system developed into a tropical storm in the East Atlantic on August 12th, moving along a westward path. According to Accuweather, it was born last week from Africa’s coasts as a rain shower and a flock of thunderstorms.
This is the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1st and continues until the end of November. Aggressive hurricane weather usually peaks between mid-August and mid-October. According to NOAA, the Atlantic saw its first hurricane around August 11th, and Erin is doing pretty well in the typical season.
Erin becomes a big hurricane. What does that mean?
Forecasters said Erin will become a strong and major hurricane in the coming days. The current prediction model for the National Hurricane Centre predicts that Erin’s maximum sustained winds will reach up to 140 mph as a barrel of storms through the Atlantic Ocean, eventually reaching a Category 4 hurricane.
Saffir-Simpson’s Hurricane Wind Scale evaluates hurricanes in categories of 1 to 5 based on wind speed, explaining the damage that may occur if their path is over land or close enough to it. This scale does not take into account the effects of other potentially dangerous storms, such as storms, rainfall floods, and tornadoes.
- Category 1: Wind speeds are 74-95 mph. A very dangerous wind will cause some damage: A well-built framed home can damage the roof, shingles, vinyl siding and grooves. Large branches of the tree can snap and fall down shallow, rooted trees. If there is significant damage to the power lines and poles, it can lead to power outages that can last for several days or days.
- Category 2: The wind speed is 96-10 mph. Very dangerous winds cause great damage: A well-built framed house can maintain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees are snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads. Outages that can last from days to weeks are expected to cause near-simultaneous power losses.
- Category 3: The wind speed is 111-129 mph. Catastrophic damage occurs: A well-built framed home can cause major damage or removal of the roof deck and gabled edges. Many trees are snapped or uprooted, blocking many roads. Electricity and water are unavailable for days or weeks after the storm passes.
- Category 4: The wind speed is 130-156 mph. Catastrophic damage occurs: A well-built framed home can suffer serious damage along with loss of most roof structures and/or some exterior walls. Most trees are snapped or uprooted, and electric poles are knocked down. Fallen trees and electric poles quarantine residential areas. Power outages can range from weeks to months. Most of the area is uninhabitable for weeks or months.
- Category 5: The wind speed is over 157 mph. Catastrophic damage occurs: With the collapse of the roof and the collapse of the walls, the proportion of framed houses is destroyed. Fallen trees and electric poles quarantine residential areas. Power outages last from weeks to months. Most of the area is uninhabitable for weeks or months.
Erinpa Tracker
This predicted track shows the most likely pathway in the center of the storm. The full width of the storm or its impact is not shown, and the storm center can move out of the cone for up to 33% of the time.
How do hurricanes form?
Hurricanes originate in the tropical regions above warm waters. Thunderstorm clusters can develop across the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are correct, clusters are swirling into tropical waves and storms known as tropical depression.
Tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm when its sustained wind speed reaches 39 mph. When the wind reaches 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane.
How to prepare for a hurricane
Potentially delaying preparations for salvation can mean waiting until it’s too late. “Get disaster supply while the shelves are still in stock and flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period, so get that insurance inspection early,” NOAA recommends.
- Establish an evacuation plan: If you are at risk of a hurricane, you will need an evacuation plan. Now is the time to plan where you will go and how you will get there.
- Assemble disaster supply: Whether you’re evacuating or evacuating, you’ll need supplies not only to get through the storm, but also for the potentially long aftermath.
- Get an insurance inspection and document your property: Contact your insurance company or agent now to ask for an insurance inspection and make sure you have sufficient insurance to repair or replace your home or belongings. Remember that home insurance and tenant insurance don’t cover floods, so you’ll need a separate insurance for that. Flood insurance is available through your company, agent, or through your national flood insurance program. Flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period, so take action now.
- Create a family communication plan: NOAA said he took the time to write down your hurricane plan and share it with your family. Determine where family gatherings are to be located and include out-of-town locations in the event of evacuation.
- It strengthens your home: Now is the time to improve your home’s ability to withstand the effects of a hurricane. Trim the wood; attach storm shutters, accordion shutters, and/or impact glass. Seal the wall opening.
