RODANTHE, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Erin kicked up big waves Thursday along the mid-Atlantic coast and began a slow march out to sea after pelting North Carolina’s Outer Banks with strong winds and swells that flooded a few places on the barrier islands.

The storm will continue to bring the threat of dangerous rip currents and coastal flooding into the weekend from the Carolinas to New England even as forecasters predict it will gradually weaken while moving farther away from the East Coast.

Damage assessments were still underway on the Outer Banks and more flooding could come during high tide Thursday evening, but it appeared the low-lying islands dodged widespread destruction during its initial brush with Erin on Wednesday.

Tropical storm warnings remained active along the coasts of

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