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 while its outer bands pounded the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with gusty winds and heavy rains early Sunday.
Hurricane Erin will not be making landfall in the southeastern U.S., according to the National Weather Service's briefing at 5 a.m., Aug. 17. The storm "will pass well offshore through the coming week," wrote the NWS.
The outer bands of powerful Hurricane Erin lashed Puerto Rico, and the storm is approaching the Bahamas next. What can the mainland U.S. expect?
Erin reached Category 5 status before weakening but has brought significant rain to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Erin, which quickly strengthened into a Category 5 storm on Saturday, is not expected to make landfall in the U.S., but experts remain on alert.
Hurricane Erin is passing the Caribbean to its north as a powerful Category 5 cyclone. The hurricane is expected to maintain its intensity for the next several days, while generating dangerous waves along the Southeast coast.