Time is running out for some residents of North Carolina to prepare for Hurricane Erin as the threat of dangerous surf, coastal flooding and beach erosion is escalating.

The Outer Banks for North Carolina are expected to be the area of the United States hit the hardest by Erin, with local officials declaring a State of Emergency for Dare County and mandatory evacuations for Hatteras Island. Residents have been told to evacuate by 8 a.m. EDT Tuesday.

"Now is the time to make final preparations, secure property, evacuate with all personal belongings and follow instructions from your property management company," Dare County officials said in a statement.

People who stay behind to ride out the storm may be cut off from the mainland for several days as Highway 12, the main road in the

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