As rip tides from Hurricane Erin create dangerous conditions along the North Carolina coast, many residents and visitors have evacuated the Outer Banks, and local officials have warned people to stay away from the beaches.

But Erin is expected to remain a powerful and dangerous storm, and it has already prompted a mandatory evacuation in North Carolina. The first hurricane of 2025 in the Atlantic continued to track north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Sunday evening, hitting those islands with heavy rain and gusty winds.