Thousands of people were evacuated off parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks amid the threat of a storm surge. Meanwhile, beaches remained off limits along the East Coast as dangerous waves and rip currents slammed shorelines.

Local officials issued evacuation orders for parts of the Outer Banks, warning that the storm might wash out roads.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says even though Erin is forecast to stay offshore by hundreds of miles, he is urging people to avoid the water for the next few days. The Category 2 storm is now churning over the Atlantic Ocean north of the Caribbean.