Heavy rains were forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and southern and eastern Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Erin is now a Category 4 storm, rapidly intensifying overnight into early Saturday morning as it moves closer to the U.S. East Coast with sustained winds up to 155 mph.

While the hurricane’s center wasn’t expected to hit land, it threatened to dump flooding rains in the Caribbean.