Erin has maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and is 210 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, moving north-northeast at 17 mph. It should weaken gradually over the next couple of days, the hurricane center said.
The storm is expected to gain speed as it moves out to sea Thursday and into Friday, the hurricane center said. It should pass south of Atlantic Canada this weekend.
Erin continues to grow in size, with hurricane-force winds extending 105 miles out from the center and tropical-storm-force winds 320 miles out from the center.
The storm sent large waves spilling over dunes and onto parts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Wednesday, after a state of emergency was declared throughout the state on Tuesday and evacuation orders were in place for counties on the coast.
Videos posted to social media and verified by NBC News show aerial shots of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, where massive waves are seen washing onto the shore.
Also on Tuesday, several states, including New Jersey and New York, where residents were told to stay out of the water.
