Hurricane Erin has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane but is gaining in size and raising the risk of life-threatening surf later this week along the U.S.

After forming Monday morning in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Erin has officially strengthened into the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season. The storm spun to life just west of Africa’s Cabo Verde Islands.

While Erin won't hit the U.S. directly, the storm's biggest impact on the East Coast will be along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where coastal flood watches, tropical storm watches and storm surge watches are in effect. The storm surge could be as high as 4 feet.

Storms that ramp up so quickly complicate forecasting and make it harder for government agencies to plan for emergencies. Hurricane Erick, a Pacific storm that made landfall June 19 in Oaxaca, Mexico, also strengthened rapidly, doubling in intensity in less than a day.

Implications for the Leeward Islands: Residents and visitors in St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the northern Leeward Islands should monitor this system throughout the week. Even if the wave remains weak, increased moisture could bring showers, gusty winds and higher seas toward the end of the week.