A tropical storm warning has been issued for North Carolina as Hurricane Erin churns up the east coast of the U.S. as a Category 2 storm.

Erin is the fifth named storm to develop during the Atlantic hurricane season, which started just over two months ago. Last week, Tropical Storm Dexter formed in the western Atlantic but didn't pose a threat to land. In early July, Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall on the Carolina coast, bringing deadly flooding to the region.

Hurricane Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic waters hundreds of miles off the U.S., prompting officials to close beaches along the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast.

Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings have been issued for parts of North Carolina and Virginia Beach and up to Chincoteague.

Hurricane Erin is churning up life-threatening rip currents and dangerous surf along much of the U.S. East Coast and will soon send destructive waves and storm surge to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Meanwhile,

Outside of Hurricane Erin in the western Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring two areas of disturbed weather in the Atlantic Ocean, but forecasters say neither appears likely to develop into a tropical cyclone that would immediately threaten any landmasses.

The Ocean City Beach Patrol has closed the ocean to swimming, wading and surfing Tuesday as tropical storm activity off the coast brings dangerous conditions to the resort town.

A new system has emerged in the eastern tropical Atlantic, heading westward toward the Leeward Islands as Hurricane Erin continues to spin.