Even though Erin is expected to stay hundreds of miles offshore, its impacts are forecast to worsen as it crawls northward and makes its closest approach to the U.S. mainland. Erin was generating waves of 35 feet or more at an ocean buoy east-northeast of the Bahamas on Aug. 19, creating swells and stirring up a broad swath of the ocean.

After rapidly intensifying into a Category 5 storm on Saturday, Hurricane Erin has since been downgraded to a Category 4 system with sustained winds of 130 mph. However, it is expected to intensify and grow in size over the next few days.

While Hurricane Erin is not expected to make landfall, the massive storm will bring dangerous waves and rip currents to Florida's east coast.

On Wednesday morning, Hurricane Erin was several hundred miles off the coast of Florida and beginning to push storm surge and deadly rip currents toward the shore. Two other systems may form right

Here's a quick, easy-to-read look on the latest about Hurricane Erin, including what Florida residents should know.

Central Florida will be breezy and warm on Wednesday with lower chances for rain and storms. Our area will see some fast-moving showers with high temperatures in the low 90s Wednesday afternoon. Winds will blow from the north-northwest at speeds of 10 to 15 mph, with gusts reaching up to 25 mph.

Powerful Hurricane Erin is expected to bring high seas, big rip currents, and rough surf as it moves between the United States and Bermuda.

Hurricane Erin on Monday bulked back up, but then dropped back down, although still a major Category 3 storm as it moved near the Bahamas with an increasing wind field that prompted new tropical