The North Carolina Outer Banks and other beaches along the Atlantic coast of the United States will bear the brunt of Erin as the hurricane grows in size and its winds and waves extend well beyond the eye of the storm, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the North Carolina Outer Banks from Beaufort Inlet to Duck. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from north of Duck, North Carolina, to Chincoteague, Virginia.

The magnitude of the storm surge, waves and winds on the Outer Banks and southeastern Virginia will depend on how close to the coast Hurricane Erin tracks. Erin's eye is forecast to pass about 200 miles offshore of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, on Thursday afternoon.

Because of the distance, some outer bands will bring some rain but not

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