Erin is currently packing maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, with a minimum central pressure of 997 mb and tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 90 miles from its center. The storm is expected to steadily strengthen and could become a major hurricane by this weekend – Cat. 4 by Sunday.

The storm is not currently forecast to hit land, but its strong winds are impacting nearby islands, prompting warnings of possible flooding and landslides.

BEAUMONT, Texas — Tropical Storm Erin is moving quickly westward across the Atlantic Ocean and could strengthen into a hurricane by late Thursday, prompting the National Hurricane Center to advise residents of the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to monitor the storm's progress.