In a 10 On Your Side interview with Drew Pearson, director of emergency management for Dare County, he shares what he expects the impacts of Hurricane Erin to be on the Outer Banks while talking about the danger of storm surge.

Even though Erin is expected to stay hundreds of miles offshore, its impacts are forecast to worsen as it crawls northward and makes its closest approach to the U.S. mainland. Erin was generating waves of 35 feet or more at an ocean buoy east-northeast of the Bahamas on Aug. 19, creating swells and stirring up a broad swath of the ocean.

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

In anticipation of the impacts of Hurricane Erin to be felt all along the East Coast, but particularly the Outer Banks and even some parts of Hampton Roads, evacuation orders have been issued for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands in Dare County.

Three flags warn of surf and rip current conditions. Red means a high hazard, yellow means a moderate threat and green means low danger. There’s also purple for dangerous sea life, such as jellyfish, and double red when a beach is closed for any reason.

As Hurricane Erin prompts mandatory evacuations for Hyde and Dare counties, officials warn of rapidly spreading AI-generated images and misinformation on social media.

Dare County's manager estimates there are approximately 5,000 permanent residents along the Cape Hatteras localities.

A State of Emergency has been issued for all areas of Dare County, and a mandatory evacuation order is in place for Hatteras Island, according to officials.A Coastal Flood Watch has already been issued for the area as a result of the impacts from major Hurricane Erin.