Hurricane Erin, now a Category 2 storm, has triggered a state of emergency in North Carolina, where residents and visitors along the Outer Banks are under evacuation orders. The Outer Banks is also under a tropical storm warning; Erin is forecast to hit the islands with heavy rain and rough winds on Wednesday night.

Mandatory evacuations are in effect for Ocracoke and Hatteras islands, where tropical storm force winds are likely Wednesday and Thursday.