The massive hurricane was picking up speed, traveling north at 14 mph, and its center was located about 295 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of North Carolina and Virginia as the impacts from Erin spread northward.

Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The outer bands of Hurricane Erin neared North Carolina's Outer Banks on Wednesday evening, prompting the National Hurricane Center to issue warnings against swimming at most East Coast beaches.

Hurricane Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic waters hundreds of miles off the U.S., prompting officials to close beaches along the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast.

Hurricane Erin continues to push further into the Caribbean Sea. But will it hit the United States? Here's what to know.

Hurricane Erin is bringing 100 mph winds and dangerous rip currents to coastal towns, prompting beach closures and tropical storm warnings from North Carolina to Virginia.

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.

People in the Outer Banks should shelter in place, authorities said. Meanwhile, life-threatening rip currents are likely at beaches along the East Coast, according to forecasters.

Dramatic aerial footage shows storm surge flooding homes and a motel in North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Aug. 19 as Hurricane Erin battered the coast. Officials ordered evacuations in Dare County, warning of life-threatening winds and rising waters.

Rough surf and strong winds from Hurricane Erin​ are battering beaches, and the storm is expected to cause major erosion.

According to the Action News Jax First Alert Weather Team, waves are expected to get even larger by later this evening. Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue tells me they do not recommend people go into the water,