The growing Hurricane Erin has been escalated twice on Saturday as several areas of the US has been told to expect tropical storms and waves as high as 12 feet

Hurricane Erin strengthened rapidly to a Category 3 storm early today as it churned towards the Caribbean, with a warning issued that flash floods

Hurricane Erin rapidly intensified into a Category 4 storm over the Atlantic, doubling wind speeds in 24 hours and threatening the Caribbean with heavy rain.

Erin strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Friday morning east of the Caribbean Islands and is expected to keep strengthening through the weekend.

Hurricane Erin gained strength Friday as it churned in the Atlantic Ocean and bore down on the Caribbean, where it could bring heavy rain to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Erin became a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, the center said at 11 a.m. EDT. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Anguilla and Barbuda, Sint Maarten, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy and Saba and St. Eustatius in the Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Erin is continuing to gain strength, and forecasters with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) expect the system to become the first major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.

Erin is expected to reach major hurricane intensity this weekend as it tracks just north of the Caribbean islands, where it could bring rain, gusty winds and high surf.Erin's longer-term future through next week is still somewhat uncertain,