Hurricane Erin passes Dutch Caribbean as category 4 storm, KLM flight turns back

Hurricane Erin has passed over the Caribbean’s northern Leeward Islands, including Sint-Maarten, Saba, and Sint-Eustatius, as a Category 4 storm, causing minimal structural damage but prompting widespread safety warnings, authorities reported. The storm, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, also disrupted air travel.

According to local authorities on Saba, the island no longer faces the threat of hurricane-force winds. However, heavy rainfall—up to 250 millimeters—is expected to cause flooding and mudslides, NOS reported. Coastal areas are experiencing dangerous sea conditions, with waves measured up to 2.5 meters high, which could increase further. Residents are advised to avoid non-essential travel until conditions improve.

Erin’s center was located approximately 600 kilometers east of Grand Turk and about 235 kilometers northeast of Puerto Rico, with sustained winds of 225–240 kilometers per hour, down from 257 kilometers per hour when the storm briefly reached Category 5 on Saturday.

By Sunday evening and Monday, the storm is expected to pass east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas.

Air travel has already been affected. A KLM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner bound for Sint-Maarten returned to Schiphol Airport Saturday morning after pilots determined that the hurricane had intensified during flight.

“At the time of departure, it was considered safe and responsible to fly,” a KLM spokesperson said. “During the flight, it became clear that the hurricane had strengthened, and the pilots turned the plane around.” The number of passengers aboard the flight was not disclosed. Passengers were scheduled to depart again on Sunday morning.