Hurricane Erin was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane early Sunday as a tropical storm warning was issued for the Turks and Caicos Islands and winds and heavy rains whipped the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Erin exploded in strength to a Category 5 storm in Atlantic waters just north of the Caribbean on Saturday, rapidly powering up from a tropical storm in a single day, the National Hurricane Center said.

With the perfect conditions for rapid intensification, Hurricane Erin became a Category 5 storm overnight, triggering warnings of potential flooding and landslides in northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands,