Hurricane Erin weakens to Category 3
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Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph as its outer bands pounded the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with gusty winds and heavy rains early Sunday.
Hurricane Erin is forecast to continue growing in size, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 50 miles from its center.
The storm will remain a major hurricane through the middle of the week, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane hunters with the NOAA flew through the eye of Hurricane Erin after it rapidly intensified into a rare Category 5 hurricane. Erin is expected to continue to fluctuate in intensity as it undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle.
Hurricane Erin is forecast to remain well offshore but still bring hazardous currents and possible erosion like previous offshore hurricanes before it.