Hurricane Erin has triggered a state of emergency in North Carolina, where residents and visitors along the Outer Banks are under evacuation orders.

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.

Hurricane Erin is just over 200 miles off the North Carolina coast early Thursday morning. There are tropical storm warnings up and down the Carolina coast ahead of the nearby pass from the storm. Frequent and strong waves have been recorded along the coast as Erin begins to move further offshore.

Two homes on the North Carolina Outer Banks sit precariously in the high waves with their days seemingly numbered. Since 2020, 11 neighboring homes have fallen into the Atlantic Ocean. While the swells from storms like Hurricane Erin make things worse,

Local officials issued evacuation orders for parts of the Outer Banks, warning that the storm might wash out roads.