As of Saturday morning, Hurricane Erin had strengthened into a Category 4 storm -- but is on the cusp of becoming a Category 5 storm -- with maximum sustained winds of up to 155 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The hurricane is forecast to become a Category 5 storm later on Saturday.

The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories.

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 is now a rare Category 5, churning through the Atlantic Ocean north of the Caribbean.