Erin is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year, and meteorologists are closely tracking its path and forecast.

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.

Hurricane Erin could 'at least double or triple in size' next week and the track has shifted south, but remains likely to turn away from the East Coast.

Anyone who rides out a Cat 5 storm in a high-rise should be prepared for an eyes-wide-open nightmare and an apocalyptic aftermath, one expert warns. The higher up you are, the stronger the winds

There is "still a greater than normal uncertainty" about what impact Erin may have on the U.S. East Coast, NHC forecasters say.