Beachfront property owners braced for the worst amid predictions of a storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion. Powerful waves of 15 to 20 feet are expected to slam beaches, especially in North Carolina, for 48 hours or more as the hurricane crawls northward offshore through at least Thursday.

Officials at the North Carolina coast on Sunday declared a state of emergency in Dare County and ordered an evacuation of Hatteras Island at the Outer Banks, ahead of expected flooding from Hurricane Erin.

Updates from the towns of Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head. Dare County remains under a State of Emergency, and a Mandatory Evacuation order is currently in effect for all areas of

WAVY 10 Andy Fox spoke to Director of Dare County Emergency Management Drew Pearson who said he's expecting a life-threatening storm surge in the area from Hurricane Erin.

Coastal flooding and ocean overwash are expected to peak Wednesday and Thursday in Dare County due to Hurricane Erin, with some Rodanthe residents choosing to defy evacuation orders.

Hurricane Erin could bring gusty winds and flooding tides which could wash out portions of the highway that connect North Carolina Outer Banks by midweek.

Hurricane Erin's large and expanding wind field will bring storm-driven waves, coastal erosion, and high seas, particularly impacting the Outer Banks.

Mandatory evacuations are underway for parts of the Outer Banks, including Dare and Hyde counties and various islands, as Hurricane Erin draws closer.

Hurricane Erin is expected to bring large ocean swells and life-threatening rip currents to North Carolina's coast. Coastal flooding, river rise and road washout are also possible. Waves could reach between 20 to 25 feet high.

Hurricane Erin threatens the East Coast with severe surf and winds, and evacuations have been ordered for parts of North Carolina. Here are the latest updates.

The storm is not expected to make landfall, but waves and wind and flooding are forecasted – particularly for the Outer Banks in North Carolina, which on Tuesday, saw the first inklings of action from Erin with coastal flooding among seaside homes. Footage, seen below, showed the overflow from OBX.