The storm will remain a major hurricane through the middle of the week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

LUMA Energy LLC this week reported fast turnaround times in responding to the impacts of Hurricane Erin, which passed near Puerto Rico bringing heavy rainfall, lightning, and widespread service interruptions.

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.

The system, located about 250 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands, is continuing to organize in favorable conditions. The NHC assigns it an 80 percent chance of development within 48 hours and a 90 percent chance within seven days, with a tropical storm likely to form as it tracks northwest then north over the southwestern Atlantic.

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

Hurricane Erin has strengthened into a Category 2 storm as it approaches Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing heavy rains that could cause flooding and landslides.

Hurricane Erin weakened slightly Saturday night but is still a formidable Category 4 storm north of Puerto Rico. The 11 pm advisory from the National Hurricane Center now has Erin with winds of 140 mph,

Hurricane Erin has weakened slightly to a Category 4 storm while positioned northeast of Puerto Rico and is on course to brush along the U.S. East Coast.

Hurricane Erin downgraded to Category 3 while lashing Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with rain and winds. The storm grew in size, threatening coastal flooding, power outages, and dangerous rip currents.