Hurricane Erin – an already powerful Category 4 storm in the Atlantic Ocean – is getting stronger and is expected to grow even larger, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Rip currents are the third leading cause of deaths from hurricanes, and they can happen on a sunny day hundreds of miles from the storm.

Hurricane Erin is forecast to remain well offshore but still bring hazardous currents and possible erosion like previous offshore hurricanes before it.

After a weekend of staggering strengthening, Hurricane Erin remained a major hurricane Monday on its path skirting away from the United States. And following behind in the Atlantic is another system the National Hurricane Center has given a medium chance of further development.

Mighty Hurricane Erin will track just east of the United States this week. Even if the center of the hurricane remains offshore, far-reaching and dangerous impacts will be felt at the Atlantic coasts.

After losing some intensity over the weekend, Erin strengthened back into a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, according to an 11 a.m. ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Powerful Hurricane Erin has undergone a period of astonishingly rapid intensification — a phenomenon that has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms. It was a rare Category 5 for a time Saturday before becoming a Category 4, churning through the Atlantic Ocean north of the Caribbean.

Powerful Hurricane Erin has undergone a period of astonishingly rapid intensification — a phenomenon that has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms. It was a rare Category 5 for a time Saturday before becoming a Category 4,