Hurricane Erin's effects have triggered state-of-emergency declarations in New Jersey and North Carolina as the storm system moves along the East Coast.

Meteorologists are closely tracking the projected path and forecast of Hurricane Erin, which is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year.

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.

Hurricane Erin is moving away from the U.S. coast. Surf and seas remain a problem for our North Carolina beaches as summer vacations continue.

The massive storm is expected to bring coastal flooding and tropical storm conditions to parts of the mid-Atlantic despite not making landfall.

“The center of Hurricane Erin made it as close in as 200 miles off the North Carolina coast on Thursday morning as forecast,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said. “The storm is expected to pass roughly 300 miles southeast of Nantucket as it moves out to sea.”

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein warns residents to take Hurricane Erin "seriously" as the Category two storm forces evacuations and beach closings.

Ron Fisher captured this video at Atlantic Beach, North Carolina a few miles south of Fort Macon the evening of Hurricane Ern's approach. Swimmers are ordered to stay out of the water due to life-threatening rip currents.