Erin has intensified to a Category Four Hurricane as it makes its way toward the East Coast of the United States.

Hurricane Erin strengthened into a fearsome Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 160 mph for much of the day on Aug. 16 as it traveled west just north of the Virgin Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The federal government has sent more than 200 workers from FEMA and other agencies to Puerto Rico as a precautionary measure.