U.S. shores are unlikely to see a direct hit, but a strong offshore hurricane can produce massive and dangerous waves well away from its center.

Hurricane Erin has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane but is gaining in size and raising the risk of life-threatening surf later this week along the U.S.

The hurricane was about 330 miles east-southeast of Grand Turk Island with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour, down from 160 earlier.