WASHINGTON — Hurricane Erin chugged slowly toward the eastern U.S. coast Tuesday, stirring up treacherous waves that already have forced dozens of beach rescues days before the biggest storm surges are expected.

While forecasters remain confident the center of the monster 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 have been 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 have been ordered.

Off the coast of Massachusetts, Nantucket Island could see waves of more than 10 feet (3 meters) later this week. In New Jersey, towns are closing some beaches to

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