ORLANDO, Fla. – As Hurricane Erin remains well offshore, the powerful Category 2 storm is stirring up trouble along the entire East Coast from Florida to Maine.
As of early Thursday, Erin was located about 260 miles off the Carolina coast, packing sustained winds of 100 mph as it tracks north-northeast.
Erin is a large and growing hurricane, with tropical storm-force winds stretching more than 300 miles from the center, which is why areas far from the core are still feeling some of its effects.
Where is Erin headed?
Erin is expected to turn northeast and accelerate later Thursday, moving between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda through early Friday.
From there, the storm will race into the northern Atlantic where it will become post-tropical by the weekend.
Still, its impact will be far-reaching.
Tropical Storm Warnings are currently in effect from Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, to Chincoteague, Virginia.
Bermuda is under a Tropical Storm Watch.
What’s it mean for Florida?
As Erin continues to pull away from the Sunshine State, the storm will continue to generate large swells for another afternoon.
Rough seas will continue through at least early Saturday along the east coast beaches.
The biggest concern locally is the high risk for dangerous rip currents and rough surf conditions for beachgoers.