Hurricane Erin is expected to impact the Outer Banks in North Carolina, sending massive waves crashing into the islands.

A tropical storm watch has been issued and mandatory evacuations are underway along the coast of North Carolina, as Hurricane Erin approaches. Coastal flooding and massive waves could leave roads impassable for days.

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,