Mandatory evacuation orders are in place along the Outer Banks of North Carolina amid fears islands may be cut off from the main highway.

Hurricane Erin's higher tides and big waves have arrived along much of the U.S. East Coast, with the large storm prompting the expansion of tropical storm and coastal flooding advisories. Beachfront property owners are bracing for the worst with predictions for a life-threatening storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion,