Hurricane Erin strengthened into a fearsome Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 160 mph for much of the day on Aug. 16 as it traveled west just north of the Virgin Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Erin, downgraded to a Category 3 storm, continues to churn and will begin to turn northward in the Atlantic this week, and could bring dangerous surf and rip currents to the Bahamas, Bermuda,

Forecasters say Hurricane Erin has exploded into a Category 5 storm in the Atlantic Ocean just north of the Caribbean.