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.

Hurricane Erin is forcing evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks as it churns in the Atlantic where high winds and heavy rain are pelting the Turks and Caicos Islands and parts of the Bahamas.

Erin is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year, and meteorologists are closely tracking its path and forecast.

Hurricane Erin, which had exploded into a Category 5 powerhouse, was downgraded to a Category 3, but rip currents and surf remained "life-threatening" to beachgoers along the U.S. East Coast, the National Hurricane Center said.

Erin has rapidly intensified into a major hurricane. The storm officially became the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season on Frida. As of 6 a.m. on Saturday, Erin has become a Category 4 hurricane.