Conditions along the coast are expected to deteriorate Wednesday as Hurricane Erin moves north-northwest off Florida.

Forecasters in North Carolina are becoming increasingly concerned about life-threatening impacts from Hurricane Erin along the Outer Banks, including strong winds and massive waves that could cause "extreme" damage to beach and coastal areas, as well as a storm surge that has the potential to be a "significant threat to life and property."

A massive, churning Hurricane Erin is turning the Atlantic into a danger zone for beachgoers from Florida to Massachusetts, prompting urgent warnings to stay out of the water as life-threatening surf and rip currents pound the East Coast on Wednesday,