STORY: Erin, the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, has been downgraded to Category 3, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said early on Sunday (August 17), as the storm's wind speed eased slightly.

Even as it was downgraded, swells generated by Erin downed trees and caused flooding in several areas in Puerto Rico and high winds downed trees.

It had been gauged as high as a catastrophic Category 5 with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (240 kph), then downgraded to a Category 4. It had earlier been forecast to strengthen into this week.

An advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) Sunday evening warned that heavy rain would fall across parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Sunday night and then lessen on Monday (August 18).

The NHC also warned of further flooding possible landslides and mudslides in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as well as surf and rip currents in the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Atlantic coast of Canada and the U.S.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: FLOODING AND DOWNED TREES CAUSED BY HURRICANE ERIN IN PUERTO RICO

SHOWS: SALINAS, PUERTO RICO (AUGUST 17, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. HOUSE SURROUNDED BY FLOODWATERS CAUSED BY HURRICANE ERIN

2. HOUSE AND FLOODWATERS SEEN THROUGH FENCE

3. VARIOUS OF PALM TREE BLOWING IN THE WIND

4. HOUSE AND FLOODWATERS SEEN THROUGH FENCE

5. FLOODED STREAM

6. HOUSES SURROUNDED BY FLOODWATERS

7. PLANTS HALF-SUBMERGED

8. HOUSES SURROUNDED BY FLOODWATERS

9. CLOTHES HANGING ON A LINE OVER WATER

10. HOUSE SURROUNDED BY FLOODWATERS

11. COUCH OUTSIDE IN A POOL OF WATER

UTUADO, PUERTO RICO (AUGUST 17, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

12. STORM CLOUDS MOVING OVER THE MOUNTAINS

13. VARIOUS OF WATER RUSHING IN FLOODED RIVER

14. PALM FRONDS FALLEN ONTO ROAD AND VEHICLE DRIVING PAST

15. PALM FRONDS ONTO ROAD

16. TRACTOR DRIVING PAST FALLEN PALM FRONDS

17. VARIOUS OF TREE PARTIALLY COLLAPSED

18. WATER RUSHING IN FLOODED RIVER