H urricane Erin, now a Category 2 hurricane, has prompted a state of emergency in North Carolina and is expected to bring dangerous waves and rip currents to beaches along the East Coast. "To folks on the coast, now is the time to prepare," North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein warned on Tuesday.

Impacts from Hurricane Erin, a category two hurricane, are expected to begin in North Carolina on Wednesday.

Hurricane Erin began pelting part of the Caribbean with rain and wind Monday before it's expected to churn up dangerous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast this week.