Hurricane Erin strengthend this morning, but still remains a Category 2 storm as it moves up the East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of 11 a.m. Aug. 20, Erin was located about 365 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

With thousands of miles of ocean water above the 80-degree Fahrenheit (27-degree Celsius) temperature needed to fuel hurricanes, Cape Verde storms are some of the most dangerous that threaten North America. About 85% of all major hurricanes — Category 3 and higher — start out there, according to the National Hurricane Center.