Meteorologists are closely tracking the projected path and forecast of Hurricane Erin, which is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year.

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.

Hurricane Erin is moving northward through the Atlantic Ocean, and even though its strongest winds will not make landfall, the storm is already creating serious problems along the U.S. East Coast. The large size of the hurricane is pushing powerful waves toward shore,

Storm surge flooding and tropical storm conditions from Hurricane Erin are forecast for the Outer Banks of North Carolina starting Wednesday evening. At 5 p.

The NWS Newport/Morehead City NC released a storm surge watch at 4:50 p.m. on Monday in effect until Tuesday at 2 a.m. for Hatteras Island.