The monster storm intensified to a Category 4 with 140 mph (225 kph) maximum sustained winds early Monday while it started to lash the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Much of North Carolina’s Outer Banks region is under a tropical storm watch with Hurricane Erin expected to skirt the area this week, according to the National Hurricane Center. The sprawling Category 4 storm is churning in the Atlantic Monday after exploding in strength at a historic rate this weekend fueling the potential for life-threatening rip currents and towering waves toward the eastern US coastline and Bermuda,

"We cannot put this more bluntly: we now EXPECT there will be times over the next week that N.C .12 becomes impassable due to significant ocean overwash," OBX transportation officials said.

Hurricane Erin strengthened 85 mph in 24 hours to a 160 mph Category 5 hurricane putting in fourth place for rapidly intensifying storms.