Hurricane Erin on Saturday strengthened to a "catastrophic" Category 5 storm as it barrelled towards the Caribbean, with weather officials warning of possible flash floods and landslides."Erin is now a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane,

Powerful Hurricane Erin has undergone astonishingly rapid changes in its intensity — a phenomenon that has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms. It quickly became a rare Category 5 for a time Saturday,

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