Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina's Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes before slowly moving away.

Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for the North Carolina coast. The storm will move northeast as it heads out to sea and away from land.

The National Hurricane Center warned that roads in the low-lying barrier islands will become impassable, with waves of 15 to 20 feet crashing ashore.

High tide Thursday evening could bring more damage to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, even as Hurricane Erin spins away into the Atlantic Ocean. The tide was to come in at 7:10 p.

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 is expected to brush the coast of North Carolina on Wednesday, forcing officials to issue warnings and evacuation notices.

Hurricane Erin has battered North Carolina’s Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes

While Hurricane Erin continues to churn through the Atlantic Ocean, it remains as a Category 2 hurricane. As of early Thursday, Aug. 21, the storm was located approximately 205 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras,