RODANTHE, N.C. -- Hurricane Erin chugged slowly toward the eastern U.S. coast Tuesday, stirring up treacherous waves that forced at least 60 beach rescues days before the biggest storm surges were expected.
While forecasters were confident the center of the storm will remain far offshore, the outer edges are likely to bring damaging tropical-force winds, large swells and life-threatening rip currents.
Warnings about rip currents were posted from Florida to the New England coast, but the biggest threat is along the barrier islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks, where evacuations were ordered.
Off the coast of Massachusetts, Nantucket Island could see waves of more than 10 feet later this week. In New Jersey, towns closed some beaches to swimming. "Enjoy the shore, enjoy this beautiful weather but stay out of the water," Gov. Phil Murphy said.
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Erin became an unusually large storm while moving through the Caribbean, with its tropical storm winds stretching 200 miles from its core. It weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph but forecasters expect it to grow larger in size.
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