While inland areas enjoy pleasant 70-degree weather, coastal regions face treacherous rip currents and waves up to 13 feet through Saturday.

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."

Hurricane Erin is churning slowly toward the eastern U.S. coast and stirring up waves that already have forced dozens of beach rescues