Tropical storm conditions and coastal flooding are expected to appear in areas along the Outer Banks starting late Wednesday.

A massive Hurricane Erin churns off the East Coast, bringing dangerous waves to vulnerable areas along the North Carolina coast. Here's the latest.

Hurricane Katrina killed 1,392 people, including 520 direct deaths, 341 of which were in Louisiana, according to an update from the National Hurricane Center in 2023. That number also includes 565 indirect deaths (mostly heart attacks) and 307 deaths of indeterminate cause.

Even though Erin will be well off shore, the shear large size of the storm will likely send tropical storm force winds (39 miles per hour or higher) into the Outer Banks and gusting tropical winds may also be felt on nearby mid-Atlantic beaches Wednesday into Friday.

The hurricane’s behavior in recent days makes it one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes on record.

Notice the historical line that the storm has made a significant turn from heading west to almost directly north

Hurricane Erin is now a Category 2 storm. The storm will start to make its way up the U.S. east coast on Tuesday.