Beachfront property owners braced for the worst amid predictions of a storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion. Powerful waves of 15 to 20 feet are expected to slam beaches, especially in North Carolina, for 48 hours or more as the hurricane crawls northward offshore through at least Thursday.

Britain is bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Erin next week, though forecasters are still uncertain if the storm, or what remains of it by then, will strike directly.

Erin delivered tropical storm-force wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph to much of the Outer Banks early Thursday morning and some 45 mph gusts to coastal Virginia and Maryland.