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

A tropical storm warning has been issued for North Carolina as Hurricane Erin churns up the east coast of the U.S. as a Category 2 storm.

Hurricane Erin is creating dangerous conditions at the Jersey Shore, Long Island, and all along the East Coast with wicked rip currents, large waves, and coastal flooding. Forecasters expect the storm to peak over the next 48 hours and say it could re-intensify into a major hurricane Wednesday night.