Despite not being expected to make landfall, Hurricane Erin’s enormous footprint pounded Caribbean islands Monday with strong gusts and torrential rains, threatening rip currents and floods along the US East Coast later this week.
Scientists argued that human-caused climate change was the primary cause of the Category 4 storm’s extraordinary surge in intensity over the weekend. It was a Category 5 storm for a short time before waning a little.
The US National Hurricane Center indicated in its most recent alert that the first hurricane of the Atlantic season was traveling northwest at 10 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 140 miles (220 kilometers) per hour.
According to the NHC, Erin is “unusually large,” with tropical storm speeds reaching 230 miles and hurricane force winds reaching 80 miles.
