Hurricane Erin forced tourists to cut their vacations short on North Carolina’s Outer Banks even though the monster storm is expected to stay offshore after lashing part of the Caribbean with rain and wind on Monday.

Hurricane Erin formed early Friday, Aug. 15, marking the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. Here's what to expect in NC.

NCDOT officials said "given the winds, wave heights and storm surge forecast, it likely won't be enough" to keep NC 12 from flooding at the Outer Banks.

The storm has already prompted evacuation orders on North Carolina's Outer Banks and warnings about dangerous rip currents and swells along the East Coast.

Two more tropical systems trail Hurricane Erin, which is following a projected course that brushes past the East Coast without making landfall.

The Outer Banks and Dare County are popular vacation spots in North Carolina, but Hurricane Erin may be problematic. What Indiana travelers need to know.