Hurricane Erin still a powerful, major storm

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hurricane Erin is continuing to grow, just as forecasters predicted. Data from reconnaissance aircraft shows that the storm’s strongest winds now reach much farther from the center, with hurricane-force winds extending up to about 80 miles and tropical-storm-force winds stretching nearly 230 miles.

The eye of the hurricane has also expanded to about 35 miles across, and there are signs of smaller swirling features inside it. Observations indicate Erin may now have two distinct eyewalls, a sign of a very powerful storm. Its top sustained winds remain near 130 mph, with stronger gusts, keeping Hurricane Erin a dangerous major hurricane.

Outer rainbands from Erin are already lashing parts of the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, bringing heavy rain an