Hurricane Erin is set to threaten large stretches of the US East Coast on Wednesday, bringing storm surges, rip currents, and coastal flooding, forecasters have warned.
The Category 2 storm, currently over the Atlantic Ocean, is not expected to make landfall in the US but authorities have cautioned that high waves, flooding and road closures are likely.
North Carolina is expected to be one of the worst hit areas, but no-swimming advisories have been issued at beaches as far north as New Jersey and Delaware.
Erin has already barrelled through the Caribbean, drenching Puerto Rico, and is packing maximum sustained winds of 105mph (168km/h), said the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The Outer Banks, a string of barrier islands off North Carolina, are already bracing for heavy surf and high winds.
