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,

Hurricane Erin exploded in strength and became a major storm in Atlantic waters just north of the Caribbean on Saturday, rapidly powering up from a tropical storm in a single day and bringing heavy rains and high winds to islands in the region.

Forecasters say Hurricane Erin has exploded into a Category 5 storm in the Atlantic Ocean just north of the Caribbean.