Updated August 16, 2025 at 6:11 PM MST

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Erin exploded in strength and became a major storm in Atlantic waters just north of the Caribbean on Saturday, rapidly powering up from a tropical storm in a single day.

The first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, Erin reached Category 5 status before weakening somewhat and becoming a Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The storm's center was located about 150 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and it was heading toward the west at 15 mph.

While the hurricane's center was not expected to strike land, it threatened to dump flooding rains on islands in the region.

Mike Brennen, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said Erin

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