Hurricane Erin Pummels Puerto Rico With Up to 8 Inches of Rain

Hurricane Erin is fluctuating within categories as it moves closer to Bermuda and the U.S. While the storm is forecast to track between the two countries, it is large enough to deliver impacts even in the absence of a direct strike. Here is the latest on this fluid situation.

Latest Update on Hurricane Erin

As of the end of the day Sunday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) confirmed that Erin is a Category 4 storm with winds between 130-156 mph winds. Erin is moving to the west-northwest at a speed of 13 mph. The eye of the storm was located approximately 200 miles to the north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, at this time.

Erin went through the process of eyewall replacement earlier in the day on Sunday. This means that a new eyewall formed closer to the center of the storm as the old eyewall moved outward. While top winds tend to pull back during the replacement cycle, speeds intensify once again when the new eye is put in place.

The outer bands of Hurricane Erin will continue to generate heavy rain and the potential of flash flooding and mudslides in Puerto Rico into the beginning of the week. Rainfall amounts of over a foot are a possibility in some of the northern Caribbean. High winds will also raise the threat of pockets of power outages.

Thousands Left Without Power