Forecasters said Erin should begin to slowly weaken as it increased wind shear. However, it's predicted to remain a major hurricane until late next week.

Hurricane Erin is likely to restrengthen again as it passes east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas on Monday after lashing the Caribbean with damaging winds and flooding rain.

While the compact hurricane's center wasn't expected to strike land, it threatened to dump flooding rains on the northeast Caribbean as it continued to grow larger.

It quickly powered up from a tropical storm to a Category 5 in a single day, the National Hurricane Center said.

Implications for the Leeward Islands: Residents and visitors in St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the northern Leeward Islands should monitor this system throughout the week. Even if the wave remains weak, increased moisture could bring showers, gusty winds and higher seas toward the end of the week.

Homeland Security Investigations in Puerto Rico reports significant reduction in smuggling load, higher fentanyl presence following enhanced enforcement and new funding under Trump.

Storms that ramp up so quickly complicate forecasting and make it harder for government agencies to plan for emergencies. Hurricane Erick, a Pacific storm that made landfall June 19 in Oaxaca, Mexico, also strengthened rapidly, doubling in intensity in less than a day.

Tropical Storm Erin on Tuesday continued to push west through the Atlantic as the National Hurricane Center forecasted it to become a major hurricane with Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands in its potential path.