Forecasters are confident it will curl north and away from the eastern U.S., but tropical storm and surge watches were issued for much of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Erin weakened more overnight, with maximum sustained winds down to 100 mph. It remains a Category 2 hurricane, down from its peak as a Category 5 storm with 160-mph winds Aug. 16. Dangerous rip currents are expected along U.S. east coast beaches from Florida to Canada.

Meteorologists are closely tracking the projected path and forecast of Hurricane Erin, which is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year.

Hurricane Erin underwent rapid intensification to become a Category 5 storm in just hours. It has since weakened to a Category 4 status.

Hurricane Erin pelted parts of the Caribbean and was forecast to create dangerous surf and rip currents along the US East Coast this week.

Hurricane Erin brings swells to Florida. It's ideal for surfing but dangerous for beachgoers who see blue skies, but don't realize the dangers.

A formidable Hurricane Erin has intensified into a Category 4 storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph), as it battered parts of the Caribbean. The powerful system is now forecast to generate dangerous surf and rip currents along the US East Coast later this week.

De Florida a Nueva Inglaterra, las personas que intentaban disfrutar de los últimos momentos del verano a lo largo de la costa se encontraron con advertencias de corrientes de resaca, playas cerradas y,

Erin’s surf and storm surge could cause erosion along sections of the Florida and East Coast and shapes up as potentially worse for North Carolina’s barrier islands, which are under mandatory evacuation orders ahead of the four feet of storm surge and 20-foot offshore waves Erin is expected to bring.

Hurricane Erin is forcing evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks as it churns in the Atlantic where high winds and heavy rain are pelting the Turks and Caicos Islands and parts of the Bahamas.