Hurricane Erin, now a Category 2 storm, has triggered a state of emergency in North Carolina, where residents and visitors along the Outer Banks are under evacuation orders. The Outer Banks is also under a tropical storm warning; Erin is forecast to hit the islands with heavy rain and rough winds on Wednesday night.

Hurricane Erin is nearing the North Carolina coast, and its far-reaching effects are already causing rip currents and bigger waves along East Coast beaches.