Hurricane Erin pounded the North Carolina coast with strong waves and gusty winds as it slowly moved out to sea Thursday. It was still considered dangerous for beachgoers along the U.S. East Coast.

Erin lost some strength Tuesday and dropped to a Category 2 hurricane as it moved northward, roughly parallel to the East Coast. However, its maximum sustained winds were around 100 mph (160 kph) on Thursday. Erin could become a major hurricane again before finally weakening by Friday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The hurricane was about 260 miles (420 kilometers) east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, late Thursday morning and was moving north-northeast at 18 mph (29 kph).

Although the weather center was confident Erin would not make direct landfall in the United States, aut

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