Hurricane Erin a Category 4
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Hurricane Erin, East Coast and rip current
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The storm will remain a major hurricane through the middle of the week, according to the National Hurricane Center.
While Erin is expected to take a northward turn in the Atlantic, a new system off the coast of Africa has the National Hurricane Center's attention.
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 is likely to become Hurricane Erin shortly. It's now tracking over ocean water that's in the low 80s, and the dry and dusty air that has had a stranglehold on the circulation is dissipating.