Hurricane Erin Landfall: Power Outages and What to Expect
Hurricane Erin is a Category 4 tropical cyclone that as of 11pm EST on August 17th, 2025[1] had sustained winds of 130mph according to the National Hurricane Center.
CNN reports[2] that “Hurricane Erin is one of the fastest rapidly intensifying storms in Atlantic history” and evacuation orders are already in place in locations like Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which is extremely vulnerable to “coastal flooding and ocean overwash.”[3]
On Sunday, August 17, Puerto Rico Governor Jennifer González-Colón announced that Erin had left 100,000 people on the island without power.
Erin is the first major tropical cyclone of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season; previous systems Andrea, Barry, Chantal, and Dexter were classified as tropical storms.
Now that the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025 is here, what can we expect?
Hurricane Erin Impacts the Continental United States
Tropical storms and hurricanes are complex weather systems with low-pressure centers, strong winds, and severe rainfall that can cause or trigger disasters such as coastal flooding and riptides, inland flash flooding, heat waves, and extended power outages.
As of 06:15 am (UTC) the National Hurricane Center is classifying as a Category 4 hurricane, meaning wind speeds of up to 130–156 mph are expected, and it could cause severe structural damage, loss of roof sections, and downed power grids if the cyclone makes landfall.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) doesn’t currently expect Erin to make landfall in the continental United States, however, the most recent hurricane advisory states:
Erin is expected to pass east and then northeast of the Turks and
Caicos Islands overnight, and the southeast Bahamas on Monday.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Turks and Caicos
Islands overnight, and in the southeast Bahamas overnight through
Monday. Some additional strengthening is anticipated for the next
12 hours, then followed by gradual weakening. Regardless of
strength, Erin will continue to grow in size over the next few
days. The expanding wind field will result in dangerous marine
conditions across much of the western Atlantic. Swells generated
by Erin will continue to affect the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico,
Hispaniola, the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos
Islands during the next couple of days. These swells will spread
to the rest of the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United
States, and Atlantic Canada during the early and middle portions
of the week. Erin is expected to produce life-threatening surf
and rip currents along the beaches of the above locations during
the next several days.
If the forecast holds, the continental US may be spared the devastating impacts of a Category 4 hurricane making landfall on the East Coast.
However, “life-threatening surf and rip currents” still pose a significant threat to human life and property, particularly beachfront communities on the East Coast.
Despite all the advances in weather forecasting technology by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service (NWS), extreme weather events like hurricanes and heat waves remain highly unpredictable.
It’s essential to stay up-to-date on hurricane warnings, especially if you live in a coastal area or part of the country that’s vulnerable to inland flash floods.
Many locations in the US that are hundreds of miles from the nearest coast are increasingly at risk of freshwater flash floods.
For example, the Central Texas Hill Country Flood in July, left “at least 134 dead and nearly 100 still missing” as of July 15th, 2025, according to the New York Times.
(Source: NOAA)
Atlantic Hurricane Season 2025 Forecast
In May, the National Weather Service predicted that the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season would have above normal activity.
As of August 8, the prediction remains on track.
However, the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season is off to a later start than 2024.
By August 18, 2024, there had already been three hurricanes: Beryl, Debby and Ernesto.
(Source: BBC)
The season’s first hurricane, Beryl, took place from 28 June-9 July 2024, the earliest ever Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record.
According to the official National Hurricane Center report, Hurricane Beryl directly caused 14 deaths in the U.S.
All 34 reported deaths indirectly caused by Beryl took place in Texas, with the most common cause (14 deaths) attributed to “heat-induced hyperthermia caused by widespread electrical outages.”
Hurricanes, Heat Waves, and Power Outages: A Deadly Combination
In locations like Houston, TX and Phoenix, AZ, power outages combined with heat waves are public health emergencies that often result in multiple deaths, especially in vulnerable populations.
During extreme heat events, air conditioning can rapidly become a necessity, not merely a comfort, especially when accompanied by high levels of humidity.
(Source: ClimateCheck)
Wet-bulb temperatures take humidity into account and give a more accurate measurement of extreme heat and humidity’s impact on human health.
A recent study found that humans can suffer sickness and death at much lower wet-bulb temperatures than previously thought:
“Researchers found that the actual maximum wet-bulb temperature is lower — about 31°C wet-bulb or 87°F at 100% humidity — even for young, healthy subjects. The temperature for older populations, who are more vulnerable to heat, is likely even lower.”
During Hurricane Beryl, media reports indicate that “almost 3 million people lost power due to the cyclone, with 2.7 million of those in southeastern Texas.”
Many of the people and businesses in Houston and Harris County rely primarily on CenterPoint for electricity, a publicly traded company that operates as a public utility holding company.
A July 2025 survey by the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs found that 42% of Harris County registered voters are “very worried” about additional power outages this summer, a significantly higher percentage than respondents worried about high winds or floods.
Energy insecurity and blackouts from extreme weather events, aging grid infrastructure, and skyrocketing electricity demand are by no means confined to Texas or to a single utility provider.
In a late‑2024 analysis, the Census Bureau reported that 25.4% of U.S. households experienced a power outage in the previous 12 months.
As of 2024, the U.S. has approximately 128 million households, so 25.4% equates to roughly 32 million households affected by outages.
Final Thoughts
It’s too early to say whether Hurricane Erin will have a disastrous impact in the US or elsewhere…
The National Hurricane Center is the best source for the latest updates and hurricane alerts.
A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that hurricanes, tropical storms, heat waves, wildfires, and other extreme weather-related natural disasters are going to keep getting more frequent and severe.
Tropical cyclones like hurricanes, for example, are highly sensitive to even fractional changes in ocean temperature, and our world is getting warmer on average every year.
You can’t stop hurricanes and tropical storms from happening, but you can prepare for the worst.
Learn more about hurricane preparedness here.
And stay safe!