Approximately 155,000 utility customers in Puerto Rico are experiencing power outages as Category 3 Hurricane Erin strikes the Caribbean, delivering heavy rain and strong winds to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
“The severe weather has led to numerous disruptions across the island,” stated Luma Energy, a Puerto Rican power company, on X. “Our teams are actively working to resolve each issue swiftly and safely.”
Additionally, two divers caught in treacherous surf near St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands were rescued by local crews on Sunday, as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Video of the rescue by St. Croix Rescue Chief Jason Henry showed the divers being pulled onto a boat.
And on the island of Sint Maarten, video showed palm trees swaying in strong winds Saturday.
Erin has been fluctuating in intensity over the past several days, and the now-Category 3 storm is expected to strengthen yet again.
As of 2 p.m. Sunday, Erin was positioned 235 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, with wind speeds reaching up to 125 mph. It is heading west-northwest at a pace of approximately 13 mph.
The outer bands continue to lash Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing intense rain and gusty winds. Rainfall is expected to total 2 to 4 inches, with some areas seeing up to 6 inches, potentially causing flash flooding or mudslides.
In a morning briefing on Sunday, Puerto Rico’s Governor Jenniffer González-Colón urged residents to remain at home if possible. Although no flooding has been reported on the island yet, officials cautioned that the worst weather is predicted to hit the region in the next six hours, as mentioned in the briefing.
Video circulating on X showed heavy rain falling in Cidra in central Puerto Rico on Sunday. Other videos posted to social media showed trees swaying in the wind and storm waves on the island.
González-Colón said there were currently no residents in shelters and no reports of flooding so far, but flash flooding remains a concern.
The hurricane is forecast to strengthen in the next two days before taking a northerly turn on Monday and Tuesday. Its core is expected to pass by the east of Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas on Sunday night and Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is then forecast to gradually weaken through the middle and latter half of the workweek as it passes between the U.S. and Bermuda.
These are the latest fluctuations in an already volatile storm. Erin rapidly exploded from a Category 2 storm on Friday to a massive Category 5 overnight, before weakening gradually to a Category 3 by Sunday morning.
“Some fluctuation in intensity are likely over the next couple of days, but Erin is expected to remain a dangerous major hurricane through the middle of this week,” the hurricane center said in an update Sunday.
The storm is also expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents to the East Coast during the week.
Tropical storm warnings have been issued in Turks and Caicos and the southeast Bahamas, according to the hurricane center.
In Puerto Rico’s Sierra Bayamón neighborhood, a suspension insulator broke and a conductor fell to the ground due to inclement weather conditions, Luma Energy said on Facebook. Crews are on the ground were working to repair the line on Sunday morning.
Luma Energy advised the public to avoid walking or driving through flooded areas, especially near downed power lines.
Matteo Moschella contributed.
