Hurricane Erin, the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, grew into a dangerous Category 4 storm on Monday as it churned past the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, prompting warnings of treacherous seas and evacuations along parts of the U.S. East Coast.
The storm, which rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 in just over 27 hours over the weekend before weakening slightly, is one of the fastest-strengthening hurricanes on record, according to meteorologists. It marks the fourth straight Atlantic season to produce a Category 5 hurricane.
As of midnight GMT Tuesday, Erin was packing maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (210 kph) as it passed east of the Bahamas, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. While Erin is not projected to make direct landfall in the Bahamas, Bermuda, or the U.S., its vast size is expected to generate dangerous surf, storm surges, and life-threatening rip currents along much of the U.S. East Coast.
In the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, authorities suspended public services, warned boats to stay ashore, and urged vulnerable communities to prepare to evacuate. On Long Cay, officials advised the island’s small population to move inland.
In North Carolina, forecasters warned that Erin’s outer bands could bring tropical storm conditions and coastal flooding by late Wednesday. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued from Beaufort Inlet to Duck, including Pamlico Sound, alongside a Storm Surge Watch for Cape Lookout to Duck.
Evacuation orders are already in effect for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands in Dare and Hyde counties, where waves could reach 20 feet (6.1 meters).
“Erin’s already large size and intensity are acting like a giant plunger on the sea surface,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, warning of extremely rough seas even far from the storm’s eye.
Local officials cautioned residents who defy evacuation orders that rescue operations may be impossible during the storm. Some, however, said they planned to stay. “Visitors are supposed to leave today and residents tomorrow. But we’re staying. We want to safeguard our property,” said Holly Andrzejewski, who runs an inn on Hatteras Island.
Erin is the fifth named storm of the 2025 season and the first to reach hurricane status. It follows Hurricane Milton, the last Atlantic storm to hit Category 5, which struck in October 2024.
The NHC said Erin will likely maintain its strength as a major hurricane through midweek before curving further into the Atlantic.
Written By Rodney Mbua
