Beaches along the New Jersey coast and in Delaware were closed as the powerful storm churned in the Atlantic. Officials warned of severe waves and possible flooding.

High surf and dangerous rip currents are likely. People are advised to stay out of the water this week, even when a lifeguard is on duty.

Atlantic City, Wildwood, Margate, and Ocean City are among the towns that have banned ocean swimming as the hurricane moves north.

Erin is now a Category 4 hurricane passing east of the Bahamas. Predictive models see it moving north along the U.S. East Coast, but moving outward, farther and farther from the coastline.

Hurricane Erin impacting the Jersey Shore with winds, clouds and strong rip currents.

Hurricane Erin chugged slowly toward the eastern U.S. coast Tuesday, stirring up treacherous waves that already have forced dozens of beach rescues days before the biggest storm surges are expected. While forecasters remain confident the center of the monster storm will remain far offshore,

Get an abbreviated, text view of what's happening with Hurricane Erin. Hurricane Erin was a Category 4 storm again Monday morning and is expected to grow even larger and stronger, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Erin, now a powerful Category 4 storm churning in the Caribbean, is not forecast to hit land, but it will impact North Carolina and bring dangerous waves and rip currents to the U.S. East Coast.