Hurricane Erin briefly strengthened into a Category 5 storm. It is not expected to make a direct hit on the U.S. but will create dangerous surf.

Hurricane Erin rapidly intensified into a ‘catastrophic’ Category 5 storm over the open Atlantic Ocean on Saturday. The storm achieved its scale-topping status just 24 hours after it first grew into a hurricane, and it maintained peak intensity for about nine hours.

Hurricane Erin exploded in strength to a Category 5 storm in the Caribbean before weakening on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

While a Gulf disturbance that moved into Texas on Friday seems to have run its course, Hurricane Erin in the western Atlantic intensifies.

Erin will stay offshore of the United States, but will still bring dangerous currents and tropical storm conditions to some of the Atlantic coast.

Notice the historical line that the storm has made a significant turn from heading west to almost directly north