Hurricane Erin strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm Saturday in the Caribbean, where it threatened to dump flooding

Hurricane Erin exploded in strength to a Category 5 storm in the Caribbean on Saturday, rapidly powering up from a tropical storm in a single day, the National Hurricane Center said. While the compact hurricane's center wasn't expected to strike land,

Erin became the first Atlantic hurricane of the year on Friday morning as it churned toward Caribbean islands. The storm had winds of 75 mph by 11 a.m. Eastern, according to the National Hurricane Center.