Axios Visuals Hurricane Erin's threats prompted North Carolina's governor to declare a state of emergency as the massive storm began bringing huge swells that were impacting the N.C. Outer Banks on Tuesday.

Tropical storm watches expand from the Virginia beaches to Fenwick Island, Delaware, and include Ocean City, Maryland.

A dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation may be about to unfold across portions of the East Coast as Tropical Storm alerts are in effect for parts of coastal Virginia and North Carolina’s Outer Banks as Hurricane Erin approaches the U.