Heavy rains were forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and southern and eastern Puerto Rico.

While the hurricane’s center wasn’t expected to hit land, it threatened to dump flooding rains in the Caribbean.

Hurricane Erin now has winds of 155 mph and continues to head to the west-northwest. The storm has officially doubled in strength since 5 pm yesterday. Heavy rainfall from outer bands of Erin is occurring across the Northern Leeward Islands,