Hurricane Erin strengthened into a fearsome Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 160 mph for much of the day on Aug. 16 as it traveled west just north of the Virgin Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Erin could 'at least double or triple in size' next week and the track has shifted south, but remains likely to turn away from the East Coast.

Powerful Hurricane Erin has undergone a period of astonishingly rapid intensification — a phenomenon that has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms. It is now a rare Category 5, churning through the Atlantic Ocean north of the Caribbean.