Hurricane Erin triggers Outer Banks evacuations

Hurricane Erin is stirring off the East Coast, and officials warn its impact could be felt along several states despite forecasts keeping the storm offshore.

(CNN)- Hurricane Erin is stirring off the East Coast, and officials warn its impact could be felt along several states despite forecasts keeping the storm offshore.

In North Carolina, evacuations are underway in parts of the Outer Banks as towering waves and local flooding are expected to begin today. Dare County has declared a state of emergency, with officials cautioning that some beach houses are at risk.

“We needed to get the visitors and our public out of there before those events occurred,” said Dare County Manager Bobby Outten. Emergency officials added that rising tides could wash over parts of Highway 12, potentially cutting off access to communities further south.

“The water doesn’t roll back. It’s going to push up into our communities and onto our infrastructure,” warned Drew Pearson, Dare County’s Emergency Management Director.

The threat isn’t limited to North Carolina. A high risk of rip currents will stretch up the Atlantic seaboard through Thursday, with waves reaching up to 11 feet in parts of Maryland. In New Jersey, dangerous surf is already being reported.

“We have a rip current warning. We have rough surf warning. We have storm warning, and conditions are bad,” said Capt. Ed Schneider with the Wildwood Beach Patrol.

Officials across the coast are urging residents and visitors to take the warnings seriously and evacuate if advised.