Hurricane Erin downgraded to Category 3; could still bring swells, rip currents

After rapidly growing to a Category 5 storm in the span of 24 hours, Hurricane Erin is now back to Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. As of Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center said, Erin had maximum sustained winds near 125 mph, with “higher gusts.”

While the storm was downgraded and is expected to remain offshore, AccuWeather warned on Sunday that Hurricane Erin “is still posing a significant risk to lives and property.”

It is currently expected to pass to the east of Turks and Caicos Islands, and the southeastern Bahamas Sunday into Monday. More fluctuations in Erin’s intensity will likely come over the next couple of days, with the center noting that “Erin is expected to remain a dangerous major hurricane through the middle of this week.”

A tropical storm warning was put out for Turks and Caicos Islands, while a storm watch is in effect for the southeast Bahamas. 

Puerto Rico will see more rainfall of 2 to 4 inches, and “locally higher” amounts to 6 inches on Monday. Turks and Caicos and the eastern Bahamas through San Salvador Island will experience heavy rainfall through Thursday. 

“Locally considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides, are possible,” the National Hurricane Center said. 

A series of ocean waves known as “swells” created by Erin could hit the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands. They could potentially spread to the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada early this week. 

The Weather Channel said as the storm grows, the eastern part of the United States, and particularly areas in the North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic, might also be hit by rip currents and the possibility of rain from the Erin’s outer bands. 

“Beaches along the entire East Coast, from Florida to New England and Atlantic Canada, will likely experience rough surf and dangerous rip currents as Erin tracks north and eventually northeast,” Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said.

Hurricane Erin’s strength and position of high pressure over the central Atlantic, as well as an “approaching dip in the jet stream,” will be key factors in determining its track, AccuWeather wrote. 

“If the high consolidates in size, steering winds from the jet stream would keep Erin well east of the U.S.,” AccuWeather said. “A broad area of high pressure to the west could block the steering winds of the jet stream, potentially allowing Erin to drift perilously close to the U.S. East Coast.”