NHC forecasters said Wednesday that beachgoers should avoid swimming "at most U.S. East Coast beaches" due to life-threatening surf and rip currents.

Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 hurricane during the early hours of Aug. 19 as it moves closer to the East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Erin fluctuated in intensity on Monday and expanded in size as people fled North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Hurricane Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic waters hundreds of miles off the U.S., prompting officials to close beaches along the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast.

Erin has rapidly intensified into a major hurricane. The storm officially became the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season on Frida. As of 6 a.m. on Saturday, Erin has become a Category 4 hurricane.

Erin is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year, and meteorologists are closely tracking its path and forecast.

The first area has been under the eyes of the National Hurricane Center for a few days as it emerged off Africa’s west coast.