Big waves, overwash and a risk for gusty winds will increase as the hurricane passes close to North Carolina coast

Much of North Carolina’s Outer Banks region is under a tropical storm watch with Hurricane Erin expected to skirt the area Wednesday through Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Forecasters say the monster storm will turn away from the eastern U.S. and won’t make landfall. But they predict it will churn up dangerous rip currents.