GREENVILLE, S.C. — Hurricane Erin is moving away from the North Carolina coast as of Thursday morning. The storm is currently classified as a Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. At 5 a.m., Erin was located approximately 205 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and is moving north-northwest at about 17 mph.

A storm surge warning is in effect for the area from Cape Lookout to Duck, North Carolina. Additionally, a tropical storm warning has been issued for Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, to the Virginia state line. A tropical storm watch is also in place for areas north of the North Carolina and Virginia border to Chincoteague, Virginia, and Bermuda.

The Outer Banks are expected to experience significant impacts through Friday. Storm surge could reach up to 4 feet, with breaking waves on the ocean side potentially exceeding 15 to 20 feet. Sustained winds are forecasted to be between 20 to 35 mph, with gusts reaching around 50 mph. This could lead to extreme beach and coastal damage, as well as severe saltwater inundation.

In Myrtle Beach, impacts are expected to include seas of 6 to 11 feet and breaking waves of up to 7 feet, creating life-threatening rip currents.

As for the storm's trajectory, Erin is expected to maintain its intensity through Friday morning before weakening to a Category 1 hurricane as it moves into the northern Atlantic. The center of the storm is projected to travel over the western Atlantic between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda through early Friday, before passing south of Atlantic Canada on Friday and Saturday.

Beachgoers in affected areas are advised to heed the guidance of lifeguards and any beach warning flags. A mandatory evacuation has been ordered for Hatteras Island, affecting all visitors and residents in Hurricane Evacuation Zone A, with evacuations beginning at 10 a.m. on August 18 for visitors and 8 a.m. on August 19 for residents.

In addition to Hurricane Erin, a tropical wave located several hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands may develop into a tropical depression by this weekend. There is a medium chance of development over the next seven days. An area of showers and storms in the far eastern Atlantic may also form into a tropical depression by the end of the week, although environmental conditions are expected to become less favorable for further development as the weekend approaches.