Parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks are under mandatory evacuation orders, as the National Hurricane Center warns that Hurricane Erin could bring tall waves topping 15 to 20 feet.

While Erin is expected to take a northward turn in the Atlantic, a new system off the coast of Africa has the National Hurricane Center's attention.

As Erin grows in size, rough ocean conditions will affect a large portion of the western Atlantic. Forecast products may currently underestimate the likelihood of strong winds beyond 36 hours, as Erin’s wind field is larger than the typical storm used to generate those estimates.

Tropical Storm Erin's path puts some homeowners at heightened risk, as the storm starts building into a hurricane tracked by meteorologists.

Tropical Storm Erin has begun strengthening as it streaks west across the Atlantic and is on track to reach hurricane status as soon as Friday, prompting tropical storm watches in the northern Leeward Islands.

Hurricane Erin strengthened back into a Category 4 storm as U.S. officials warned of dangerous rip currents this week.

In recent decades, the Atlantic has been warming at record rates, helping hurricanes explode into powerhouses.