Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina's Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes before slowly moving away.

Beachfront property owners braced for the worst amid predictions of a storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion. Powerful waves of 15 to 20 feet are expected to slam beaches, especially in North Carolina, for 48 hours or more as the hurricane crawls northward offshore through at least Thursday.

High tide Thursday evening could bring more damage to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, even as Hurricane Erin spins away into the Atlantic Ocean. The tide was to come in at 7:10 p.

People in the Outer Banks should shelter in place, authorities said. Meanwhile, life-threatening rip currents are likely at beaches along the East Coast, according to forecasters.

By Rich McKay (Reuters) -Hurricane Erin, churning north in the Atlantic hundreds of miles offshore, is expected to trigger a dangerous storm surge and tropical storm conditions on Wednesday along North Carolina’s Outer Banks and other stretches of the U.

Two coastal homes in Rodanthe, North Carolina, appear on the verge of collapse as Hurricane Erin's wind and waves lash the East Coast.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the coastal regions of Virginia, the Outer Banks, Pamlico Sound, and the Eastern Shore. A coastal flood warning is in place from Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon for coastal areas in Hampton Roads, on the Eastern Shore, and on the Outer Banks.