Hurricane Erin is creating potentially deadly beach conditions all along the U.S. East Coast days before the largest waves are expected, with high winds and flooding anticipated in North Carolina by Wednesday night.

Erin lost some strength Tuesday and dropped to a Category 2 hurricane as it was moving northward, roughly parallel to the East Coast. However, its maximum sustained winds increased Wednesday to near 110 mph (177 kph). Erin could become a major hurricane again before finally weakening by Friday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The hurricane was about 215 miles (345 kilometers) southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and about 485 miles (780 kilometers) west of Bermuda on Wednesday. Forecasters said Erin was moving north at 16 mph (26 kph).

Although the wea

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