Hurricane Erin was a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds on Monday night as it passed to the east of the Bahamas. The forecast track keeps the center of the storm well away from the U.S. East Coast this week, but tropical storm and storm surge watches have been issued for the North Carolina Outer Banks. National Hurricane Center

While Erin won't hit the U.S. directly, the storm's biggest impact on the East Coast will be along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where coastal flood watches, tropical storm watches and storm surge watches are in effect. The storm surge could be as high as 4 feet.

Much of North Carolina’s Outer Banks region is under a tropical storm watch with Hurricane Erin expected to skirt the area Wednesday through Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A watch means the ingredients are there for severe weather. A warning means it is happening. But there are differences based on weather type.

A tropical storm watch was issued by the NWS Newport/Morehead City NC on Monday at 4:50 p.m. in effect until Tuesday at 2 a.m. for Ocracoke Island.

The NWS Newport/Morehead City NC issued an updated tropical storm watch at 10:41 p.m. on Monday in effect until Tuesday at 6:45 a.m. for Hatteras Island.

Although the storm is expected to stay offshore, it will produce dangerous surf conditions for much of the Atlantic Coast this week, forecasters say.

An updated fire weather watch was released by the NWS Hanford CA on Monday at 7:50 p.m. valid from Wednesday 9 a.m. until Saturday 9 p.m. for Fort Tejon.

The NWS Wakefield VA released an updated tropical storm watch at 4:58 p.m. on Tuesday in effect until Wednesday at 1 a.m. for Eastern Currituck.

The Seattle Storm looks to strengthen its grasp on the No. 8 seed in the WNBA playoffs on Tuesday at Wintrust Arena to take on the Chicago Sky.