Forecasters say the monster storm will turn away from the eastern U.S. and won’t make landfall. But they predict it will churn up dangerous rip currents.

Much of North Carolina’s Outer Banks region is under a tropical storm watch with Hurricane Erin expected to skirt the area Wednesday through Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Erin fluctuated in intensity on Monday and expanded in size as people fled North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Hurricane force winds extend up to 80 miles from the center. Tropical storm force winds extend up to 205 miles out.

Erin is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year, and meteorologists are closely tracking its path and forecast.

Hurricane Erin, which had exploded into a Category 5 powerhouse, was downgraded to a Category 3, but rip currents and surf remained "life-threatening" to beachgoers along the U.S. East Coast, the National Hurricane Center said.

Erin has rapidly intensified into a major hurricane. The storm officially became the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season on Frida. As of 6 a.m. on Saturday, Erin has become a Category 4 hurricane.

The fund may be more important this year than ever because of uncertainty around any help from the federal government for storm response or cleanup.