Hurricane Erin weakens but expected to remain major storm along East Coast

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Published  August 17, 2025 3:29pm EDT
FOX 35 Orlando
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The Brief

    • Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 storm Saturday evening after briefly reaching Category 5 strength earlier in the day.
    • The storm is expected to maintain major hurricane status as it tracks up the East Coast, bringing dangerous surf and rip currents.
    • Florida is not in the direct path, but the East Coast will see hazardous beach conditions through midweek.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Hurricane Erin, which briefly intensified into a Category 5 storm Saturday morning, weakened to a Category 3 by the evening as it underwent an eyewall replacement cycle in the Atlantic, forecasters said.

Hurricane Erin: To hold Category 3–4 strength as it moves up U.S. East Coast

What we know:

As of 2 p.m., Erin was producing sustained winds near 125 mph while moving on a west-northwest track, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical storm watches were issued for parts of the Leeward Islands between St. Lucia and Puerto Rico, where officials are warning of dangerous surf and rip currents. Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands are already bracing for hazardous conditions.

Erin is expected to maintain major hurricane strength — Category 3 or 4 — as it tracks up the East Coast of the United States in the coming days. While Florida is not expected to experience direct impacts, forecasters warn the state’s east coast will see dangerous waves and rip currents from Sunday through Wednesday.

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NHC monitoring 2 additional systems

What to Expect:

Meanwhile, the hurricane center is monitoring two additional systems. 

System 1:

A tropical wave in the central Atlantic has a 30% chance of developing over the next week as it moves westward from Africa. 

System 2:

Another cluster of storms off the Carolina coast has just a 10% chance of development, with forecasters noting unfavorable wind shear and cooler waters ahead.

NHC cautions of additional tropical waves

Forecasters also cautioned that additional tropical waves emerging off Africa may need to be monitored in the coming days. 

The next storm names on the 2025 Atlantic hurricane list are:

  • Fernand
  • Gabrielle
  • Humberto
  • Imelda

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More radar maps from FOX 35 Storm Tracker Radar

The Source: The information in this article comes from the FOX 35 Storm Team and the National Hurricane Center forecast. 

Tracking The Tropics: News, Forecasts, Updates