Hurricane Erin threatens North Carolina's Outer Banks with storm surge and massive waves

Hurricane Erin, seen in satellite imagery churning north in the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of miles offshore, is expected to trigger a dangerous storm surge and tropical storm conditions on Wednesday (August 20) along North Carolina’s Outer Banks and other stretches of the U.S. East Coast. The National Hurricane Center warned that roads in the low-lying barrier islands may become impassable, with waves as high as 20 feet crashing ashore. The heavy surf is likely to result in significant beach erosion, it said in its 8 a.m. EDT update. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, freeing up state money and manpower to help during the storm and its aftermath. Tropical storm and storm-surge warnings are in place for other parts of the North Carolina coastline. Erin’s strength held steady over the past few hours. It’s still a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane is tracking to the north at 13 mph and is about 335 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.