Hurricane Erin, now a Category 2 storm, has triggered a state of emergency in North Carolina, where residents and visitors along the Outer Banks are under evacuation orders. The Outer Banks is also under a tropical storm warning; Erin is forecast to hit the islands with heavy rain and rough winds on Wednesday night.

North Carolina has been placed under a state of emergency and more than 2,000 people have been evacuated, as Hurricane Erin continues to track northward and towards the U.S. East Coast.Tropical storm force winds and surge conditions would increase in the Outer Banks region of The Tar Heel State and portions of coastal Virginia throughout the day,