A Spirit Airlines plane appears to have flown through Hurricane Erin this week when the hurricane was a Category 4 storm with winds well over 100 mph, according to a flight path shared on social media. Spirit Airlines told Newsweek in a statement that the flight operated normally and no injuries were reported.

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.

Hurricane Erin, the first major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, rapidly intensified Friday night, with the storm now reaching Category 5 strength with sustained winds of 160 mph.