Even when they don't brush the coast or make landfall, such storms can be deadly and cause millions of dollars of damage. Erin is expected to remain hundreds of miles offshore, according to the National Hurricane Center,

Hurricane Erin strengthens into a Category 5, as it moves north in the Atlantic; experts warn of potential dangerous (and potentially) epic waves.

The longstanding hurricane rating system, the Saffir-Simpson Scale, only takes into account sustained wind speeds and not the full devastating impact of a hurricane.

with parts of the East Coast potentially in its eventual path. Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center and AccuWeather expect Erin to reach major hurricane strength this weekend, likely on Saturday, Aug. 16, as it passes north of the Leeward ...