Hurricane Erin won’t make landfall on the Outer Banks but is projected to produce dangerous rip currents along the beaches.

Hurricane Erin strengthened into a fearsome Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 160 mph for much of the day on Aug. 16 as it traveled west just north of the Virgin Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane forecasters continued to track a tropical wave off the coast of Africa Sunday morning as Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 storm following an eyewall replacement cycle.