As of Saturday morning, Erin has become a Category 5 hurricane. Maximum sustained winds are at 160 mph, and the storm is moving west-northwest at 17 mph with a lower pressure down to 917 mb. Erin is encountering warmer ocean water as it moves closer to the northernmost Leeward Islands. Hurricane Hunters are currently investigating the storm.

Hurricane Erin strengthened rapidly to a Category 3 storm early Saturday as it churned towards the Caribbean, with a warning issued that flash floods and landslides were possible.It also warned of "locally considerable flash and urban flooding,