SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - At 11:20 AM AST, shortly after the 11 AM advisory, the National Hurricane Center released a statement saying that Hurricane Erin had intensified to a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. Erin’s center is 105 miles North of Anguilla, or 235 miles East of San Juan, Puerto Rico, advancing west at 17 mph with a central pressure of 917 mb (millibars).

The National Hurricane Center updated Erin from a Cat 3 at 5 AM, then to a Cat 4 by 6 AM. The center of Erin is forecast to move just north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico over the weekend. Additional strengthening is expected this afternoon, with maximum winds expected to reach 165 mph. Fluctuations in intensity are expected for the rest of the we

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