Hurricane Erin Now a Category 5 Storm – Here’s What That Means for Travelers

Storms can quickly impact your Disney World trip — often without warning. Whether it’s a mid-afternoon thunderstorm or a full-on hurricane, it’s important to be prepared.

Just recently, Tropical Storm Erin strengthened into a hurricane. Now, there’s been another update — the storm has now been upgraded to a Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours.

At this time, Hurricane Erin is still on a path where it will remain out in the ocean and not head towards land. As of the morning of August 16th, it has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph.

August 16: 11:20AM AST @53rdWRS find #Erin is now a Category 5 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. Visit https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb for the latest pic.twitter.com/dEZuREiUa3

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 16, 2025

According to The Orlando Sentinel, outer bands have begun to hit the Caribbean, and while the storm is expected to create dangerous surf and rip currents in multiple areas, there is no threat to land at this time. However, as the ocean itself will be heavily affected, it’s very possible cruise ships (including Disney Cruise Line ships) may have to alter course to avoid the rough waters.

#Erin is rapidly intensifying north of the eastern Caribbean Islands. Here are the Key Messages from the 5 am AST advisory. Visit https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb for updates. pic.twitter.com/wZOHiVd02y

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 16, 2025

According to Cruise Hive, the storm has caused the Disney Treasure sailing departing from Port Canaveral on August 16th to sail to the Western Caribbean instead of the Eastern Caribbean. This means that the two planned ports of call, Tortola and St. Thomas, have now been changed to Cozumel, George Town, and Falmouth. Prepare for other cruise lines to make similar changes over the next few days.

If you’re heading to Disney World this week, or you’re in Florida or the surrounding states, you may want to prepare for some rainstorms around Wednesday or Thursday. However, it’s possible that the wind may sweep the storms further north with the rest of the storm. We’ll be sure to keep you updated!

Any amount of rain can put a serious damper on your theme park day, so that’s why we recommend bringing a poncho or umbrella into the parks with you, no matter the weather. You never know when a small rain shower may hit, and the last thing you want is to be soaking wet and miserable for the rest of the day.

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest storm news that may impact your trip!

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Have you ever been to Disney World during a big storm? Tell us about it in the comments!

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