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 has rapidly intensified into a rare category five hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 160mph (260km/h), and expected to gain even more strength.

Hurricane Erin won’t make landfall on the Outer Banks but is projected to produce dangerous rip currents along the beaches.

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 was a rare Category 5 for a time Saturday before becoming a Category 4,

Erin reached Category 5 status before weakening but has brought significant rain to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Erin is expected to bring dangerous surf and rip currents to the Jersey Shore this week as it tracks far offshore.

Hurricane Katrina was a chapter in the history of man's struggle both to control nature and to accept what he cannot control.