Hurricane Erin Intensifies to a Category 5 Storm in the Atlantic

The storm is not expected to make a landfall but could still create dangerous surf to the East Coast.

Tropical Storm Erin (R) builds in the Atlantic Ocean as it heads for the Caribbean Sea on Aug. 12, 2025. NOAA/NESDIS/STAR - GOES - 19

Hurricane Erin has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm as it travels north of Puerto Rico on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

The first Atlantic hurricane of the 2025 season, Erin strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 5 system in a matter of 24 hours. By late Saturday morning, its maximum sustained wind speeds had more than doubled to 160 mph.