Last week, the tropics started to heat up as Hurricane Erin became the first hurricane in the Atlantic during the 2025 season. However, as Erin became a Category 5 storm, its track was initially set to miss Florida and the United States entirely, taking a hard right turn and heading north into colder waters in the Atlantic Ocean.
Then Saturday night, all that changed. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center moved Erin’s track further south, causing the National Hurricane Center to issue a warning for the Bahamas, where Disney’s Castaway Cay is located.
Erin is located about 155 miles north of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 310 miles east of Grand Turk Island. It is moving westward at about 14 miles per hour. The only good news is that overnight, Erin dropped in strength from a Category 5 hurricane to a Category 3 hurricane; however, that still means the storm has sustained winds of over 125 miles per hour.
The storm is still expected to miss Florida, but it could cause strong winds and high seas on the East Coast from Florida to Virginia. The Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Virgin Islands are receiving up to six inches of rain as a result of the outer bands from Erin.
While Central Florida may remain out of Erin’s path, there are two more systems that the National Hurricane Center is watching that could develop into tropical depressions within the next week. The first system is off the Carolina Coast, too far north to impact Disney World vacations.
However, a second system is forming off the west coast of Africa that should interest Central Florida. This new system is following a similar path to Erin, picking up speed and intensity from Erin’s draft.
The National Hurricane Center says this storm will be “slow-moving and slow to develop,” with only a 20 percent chance of development in the next week. However, once it hits the warm Atlantic waters like Erin, it could be more likely to develop into a significant storm.
For now, Disney World is spared, but keep your eyes on the tropics. You never know when another storm is coming.
What’s the best way to survive a hurricane at Disney World? Let us know in the comments.
