Hurricane Erin is tracking north as a Category 2 storm, nearly parallel to the East Coast. It is expected to strengthen back into a Category 3 hurricane later tonight. Follow here for live updates.

As Hurricane Erin pelted North Carolina’s barrier islands with strong winds and waves this week, it destroyed many nests of threatened sea turtle, burying the eggs deep in sand or washing them out to sea.

North Carolina expects coastal flooding from massive waves, tropical-storm-force winds and tidal and storm surges for much of the state shoreline, especially the Outer Banks, as well as life-threatening rip currents for most of the week, Stein said, adding, "No one should be in the ocean."

V ideo shows a tidal storm surge enveloping homes along North Carolina's coast as Hurricane Erin moved through the Atlantic Ocean, gaining momentum. Aerial footage shot using a drone in the state's Outer Banks on Tuesday, Aug. 19, shows waves slamming into raised, colorful beach houses along the shore, the storm's deluge creeping its way inland.

Hurricane Erin is moving away from the U.S. coast. Surf and seas remain a problem for our North Carolina beaches as summer vacations continue.

As of 4 p.m. CDT Wednesday, the center of Category 2 Hurricane Erin was located about 295 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., or 520 miles west of Bermuda, and was tracking to the north at 14 mph.

Beachfront property owners braced for the worst amid predictions of a storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion. Powerful waves of 15 to 20 feet are expected to slam beaches, especially in North Carolina, for 48 hours or more as the hurricane crawls northward offshore through at least Thursday.

A massive Hurricane Erin churns off the East Coast, bringing dangerous waves to vulnerable areas along the North Carolina coast. Here's the latest.

Hurricane Erin's path will not bring its strongest winds ashore. However, it continues to grow in size, and its impacts from high surf, rip currents and coastal flooding are already increasing along parts of the East Coast.