The powerful hurricane Erin continues to strengthen in the Caribbean region and continues on the Bahamas, according to the American Hurricane Center (NHC). The first hurricane of the season in the North Atlantic, Erin was returned to the night from Sunday to Monday in category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale which has five, and should continue to intensify and widen, according to weather forecasts.
With winds of up to 220 km/h, it is now above the Grand Turk Island of the British ultra-Marin archipelago of the Turkish-and-Caican Islands and continues its progression to the Bahamas. He should provoke strong showers located on Monday through these territories as well as in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic, warns the NHC, which alerts the risk of floods.
Erin should “grow in a rather spectacular way”
During the weekend, Erin had come closer to the north of the small Antilles and Puerto Rico, causing material damage. In this American territory of the deadly and devastated Caribbean in 2017 by Hurricane Maria, houses and roads were thus overwhelmed by waters. The powerful winds also slept trees on the road, and 150,000 households had been deprived of current on Sunday, the teams being on the job to repair the damage. The Luma local electricity company said that the service had been restored for 96% of its customers.
The meteorological authorities expect the hurricane to continue its trajectory to the northwest, passing in the middle of the week between the east coast of the United States and the Bermuda. Erin should “grow in a rather spectacular way,” warned Michael Brennan, director of the NHC. And to warn: “This will create very dangerous maritime conditions throughout the western part of the Atlantic and increase the risk of dangerous and potentially fatal waves and currents over almost the entire east coast of the United States.” Coastal floods are also to be feared, especially on a rosary of islands bordering the North Carolina. In anticipation, certain areas have been subject to evacuation orders.
A season of more intense hurricanes this year
Hurricane Erin had strengthened over the weekend, reaching the maximum level of the Saffir-Simpson scale just over 24 hours after being classified in category 1. The hurricane season, which stretches from early June to the end of November, should be more intense than normal, according to forecasts from the American weather authorities.
In 2024, the region had been marked by several deadly storms, including Hurgagan Hélène who left more than 200 dead in the south-east of the United States. By warming the seas, climate change makes it more likely the rapid intensification of storms and increases the risk of more powerful phenomena, according to scientists.
