Hurricane Erin strengthened overnight to a Category 4 hurricane and will make its turn to the north Aug. 18, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Erin, which will gradually strengthen through the day, is located 105 miles away from the Grand Turk Island and 915 miles from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It has sustained winds of 130 mph and is moving northwest at 13 mph. It will start making its turn north later Aug. 18.

Erin is expected to pass to the east of the southeastern Bahamas today and move between Bermuda and the east coast of the United States by the middle of the week.

Two counties in North Carolina declared states of emergency and issued mandatory evacuation orders for parts of the Outer Banks, a string of islands in the Atlantic Ocean dotted with quaint villages and

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