On North Carolina's Outer Banks, Hurricane Erin's storm surge could swamp roads with waves of 15 feet (4.6 meters). Mandatory evacuations were ordered on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. More than 1,800 people had left Ocracoke by ferry since Monday.

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein warned residents along the coast to be prepared in case they need to evacuate and declared a state of emergency on Tuesday. Bulldozers shored up the dunes, and on Hatteras, the owners of a pier removed a few planks, hoping the storm surge will pass through without tearing up the structure.

Most residents decided to stay even though memories are still fresh of Hurricane Dorian in 2019 when 7 feet (2.1 meters) of water swamped Ocracoke, said Randal Mathews, who serves as a county commissioner.

Tom Newsom, who run fishing charters on Hatteras, said he’s lived there almost 40 years and never evacuated, and wasn’t going to this time either.

Comparing this hurricane to others he has seen, he called this one a “nor’easter on steroids.”

Bryan Philips, who also lives on the island, said he’d evacuate if they were getting a direct hit. He expects the roads will be open by the weekend to make sure one of the last summer weekends isn’t lost.

“That’s their main concern: getting tourists back on the island as soon as possible,” said Philips.

The Outer Banks' thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that jut into the Atlantic are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges. There are concerns that parts of the main highway could be washed out, leaving some routes impassible for days. And dozens of beach homes already worn down from chronic beach erosion and the loss of protective dunes could be at risk, said David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Farther south, no evacuations had been ordered, but some beach access points were closed as forecasts call for water levels up to 3 feet (1 meter) over normal high tides for several days.