Thousands without power in Puerto Rico as Hurricane Erin pummels region
Nearly 155,000 utility customers are without power in Puerto Rico as Category 3 Hurricane Erin batters the Caribbean, bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
“The adverse weather has caused multiple interruptions across the island,” Luma Energy, a power company in Puerto Rico, said on X. “Our teams continue to work to address each situation as quickly and safely as possible.”
Meanwhile, two divers who were swept away by dangerous surf near St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands had to be rescued by local crews on Sunday, according to 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 235 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. It is moving west-northwest at around 13 mph.
Outer bands continue to sweep over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches, with up to 6 inches likely in some areas, will be possible and could lead to flash flooding or mudslides.
At a news briefing Sunday morning, Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón advised residents to stay home if possible. While there are no reports of flooding on the island so far, the worst weather is expected to impact the region within the next six hours, officials said at 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.