Hurricane Erin Becomes Season’s First Major Storm, Threatens Caribbean with Heavy Rains

Hurricane Erin has rapidly intensified, growing into a major storm over the Atlantic waters north of the Caribbean. Erin has become the first hurricane in the Atlantic this season, with several areas already on alert for heavy rain. Strong waves and rip currents are possible along the East Coast of the United States this week.
 
The National Hurricane Center said, as of yesterday, Hurricane Erin had weakened into a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. This week, Erin will move north of Puerto Rico and could potentially become even stronger. While the hurricane’s center was not expected to strike land, it is expected to dump flooding rains on islands in the region.
 
The U.S. government deployed more than 200 employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to Puerto Rico as a precaution. Meanwhile, officials in the Bahamas prepared some public shelters as a precaution. August, September and October are the most active months of the Atlantic hurricane season.