Hurricane Erin eyes the East Coast with dangerous surf and potential flooding

POSSIBLE UP TO 20 FEET. WE BEGIN TONIGHT. FEET. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH AARON GILCHRIST. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH AARON GILCHRIST THERE ON THE BEACH. THERE ON THE BEACH IN NORTH CAROLINA. >> Reporter: IN NORTH CAROLINA. >> Repororter: TONIGHT, NORTH. TONIGHT, NORTH CAROLINA'S OUTER BANKS ARE UNDER R A. CAROLINA'S OUTER BANKS ARARE UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY. STATE OF EMERGENCY AND STARTING TO FEEL THE EARLY EFEFFECTS OF. AND STARARTING TO FEEL THE EARLY EFFECTS OF HURRICANE ERIN. THE EARLY EFFECTS OF HURRICANE ERIN. >> FOLKS ON THE. >> FOLKS ON THE COAST NEED TO TAKE CARE. CARE. >> Reporter: DANGEROUS WAVES. DANGEROUS WAVES ALREADY PUMMELING LOWER HATTERAS. LOWER HATTERAS ISLAND WITH MORE STORM SURGE AND. STORM SURGE AND TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS TO COME. TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS TO C COME. THE COMBINATION. THE COMBINATION POSING A REAL THREAT TO THE OCEANFRONT. TO THE OCEANFRONT MOTEL. 96-Y-YEAR-OLD CAROL. MOTEL. 96-YEAEAR-OLD CAROL WHITE DYLAN IS.

WHITE DYLAN IS WORRIED HER 70-YEAR- OLD BUBUSINESS COULD. OLD BUSINESS COULD BE CRIPPLED BY THE STSTORM. STORM. >> I'M WORRIED ABOUT LOSING MY BEBEACH. LOSING MY BEACH HOUSES. YES. HOUSES. YES. BECAUSUSE THEY'RE OUR. YES. BECAUSE THEY'RE OUR MONEYMAKERS. MONEYMAKERS. >> Reporter: YOU THINK K THAT'S A REAL. THINK THAT'S A REAL POSSIBILITY AT THIS TITIME? TIME? >> WELL, I'M HOPING NOT. >> WELL, I'M HOPING NOT. BUT -- IT'S --. NONOT. BUT -- IT'S -- POSSIBLE. BUT -- IT'S -- POPOSSIBLE. >> Reporter: LOCAL. OFFICIALS BRACING FOR THE LIFE- THREATENING IMPACTS. FOR THE LIFE- THREATENING IMPAPACTS AND OVERWHELMING. THREATENINING IMPACTS AND OVERWHELMING STORM SURGE COULD. STORM SURGE COULD MAKE THE ONLY HIGHWAY OFF HATTERAS. MAKE THE ONLY HIGHWAY OFF HATTERAS ISLAND IMPASSABLE. HIGHWAY OFF HATTERAS ISLAND IMPASSABLE. IF THESE ROADS WASH. IF THESE ROADS WASH OUT, LIVES AND LIVELILIHOODS ARE ON. THE LINE. >> WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN QUICKLY. HOW WE CAN QUICKLY GET BACK UP AND RUNNING BECAUSE THIS.

RUNNING BECAUSE THIS IS ALSO OUR TOURIST SEASON. SEASON. AND THIS IS WHERE WE MAKE OUR MONEY FOR. MAKE OUR MONEY FOR THE WINTER. >> Reporter: VIDEO. THE WINTER. >> Reporteter: VIDEO FROM THE. FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SHOWINING. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATATION SHOWING ERIN'S MASSIVE SIZE. ERIN'S MASSIVE SIZE. HUNDREDS OF MILES ACROSS. HUNDREDS OF MILES ACROSS. PUTTING THE WHOLE. ACROSS. PUTTING THE WHOLE EAST COAST ON HIGH. PUTTINING THE WHOLE EAST COAST ON HIGH ALERT. E-. ALERT. >> THESE ARE LIFE- THREATENINING RIP. THREATENING RIP CURRENTS AND YOU SHOULD NOT BE IN THE. SHOULD NOT BE IN THE WATER. >> Reporter: FUELED. WATER. >> Reporter: FUELED BY THOSE DANGEROUS. BY THOSE DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS, MANY BEACACHES HAVE BANNED. BEACHES HAVE BANNED SWIMMING ALONG THE EASTERN SESEABOARD. SWIMMING ALONG THE EASTERERN SEABOARD. >> THIS IS MOTHER. EASTERN N SEABOARD. >> THIS IS MOTHER NATURE IN HER FURY. >> THIS IS MOTHER NATURE IN HER FUFURY. >> Reporter: ON THE. NATURE IN HER FURY. >> Repeporter: ON THE JERSEY SHORE, EARLY. >> Reporter:r: ON THE JERSEY SHORE, EARLY SIGNS OF ERIN. SIGNS OF ERIN STARTING TO APPEAR AS OFFICIAIALS WARN. AS OFFICIALS WARN RESIDENTS TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. RESIDENTS TO TAKE IT SERIOUOUSLY. >> WE -- WE WILL.

SERIOUSLY. >> WE -- WE WILL FEEL THE EFFECTS IN. >> WE -- WE WILL FEEL THEHE EFFECTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. LY. THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE SOME REAL. AND IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE SOME E REAL ESTATE WITH IT AS. TAKE SOME REAL ESTATE WITH IT AS WELL. WELL. >> Reporter: FARTHER NORTH IN MAINE, >> Reporter: FARTHER NORTH ININ MAINE, ROUGH SURF VISIBLE. ROUGH SURF VISIBLE. BACK IN NORTH CAROLINA, THE TIME. BACK IN NORTH CAROLINA, THE TIME TO LEAVE THE. CAROLINA, THE TIME TO LEAVE THE EVACUATION ZONE HAS. EVACUATION ZONE HAS PASSED. THE HOHOLDOUTS NOW. PASSED. THE E HOLDOUTS NOW LEANING ON THEIR. LEANING ON THEIR PREPARATIONS AND HOPE. PREPARATIONS AND HOPE. SO YOU F FEEL PRETTY. HOPE. . SO YOU FEEL PRETTY SAFE. SAFE. >> WELL, I WOULD NEVER LEAVE. >> WELL, I WOULD NEVER LEAVE. LELET'S PUT IT THAT. NEVER LEAVE. LELET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. >> WITH THAT, AARON. WAY. >> WITH THAT, AARON GILCHRIST JOINS US. GILCHRIST JOINS US LIVE TONIGHT FROM KILL DEVIL HILLS, LIVE TONIGHT FROM KILL DEVILIL HILLS, NORTH CAROLINA. KILL DEVIL HILLS, NONORTH CAROLINA. GET THE VIEWERS UP. GET THE VIEWERS UP TO SPEED HERE ABOUT WHERE EXACTLY. TO SPEED HERE ABOUT WHERE EXACTLY HURRICANE IS --.

WHERE EXACTLY HURRICANE IS -- - HURRICANE ERIN IS. HURRICANE ERIN IS RIGHT NOW AND THE PATH, AARON. RIGHT NOW AND THE PATH, AARON. >> Reporter: WELL, PATH, AARON. >> Reporter: WELL, TOM, WE ARE STARTING. TOM, WE ARE STARTING TO REALLY FEEL AND SEE THE EFFECTS OF. TO REALLY FEEL AND SEE THE EFFECTS OF HUHURRICANE ERIN HERE. SEE THE E EFFECTS OF HURRICANE ERIN HERE. THE TROPICAL STORM. HURRICANE ERIN HERE. THE TRTROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN. WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT HERE. THAT STORM IS STILILL. THAT STORM IS STILL SEVERAL MILES OFF THE COAST. SEVERAL MILES OFF THE COAST. WE EXPECT IT TO MOVE. WE EXPECT IT TO MOVE UP THE EAST COAST TONIGHT AND D TOMORROW. UP THE EAST COAST TONIGHT AND TOMORROW BEBEFORE TURNING OUT. TONIGHT AND TOMORROW BEFORERE TURNING OUT TO SEA FRIDAY AND. TO SEA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. WE KNOW THAT IT'S. SATURDAY. WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE. WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT GOGOING TO MAKE LANDFALL HERE. NOT GOING TO MAKE LANDFALL HERE. BUT BEACH CONDITIONS. BUT BEACH CONDITIONS WE DO EXPECT WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR. WE DO EXPECT WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR R ANYBODY WHO MIGHT. ANYBODY WHO MIGHT TRY TO GET TOO CLOSE TO T THE WATER. TRY TO GET TOO CLOSE TO THE WATERER. IT'S GOING TO BE A.

IT'S GOING TO BE A MAJOR WATER EVENT AND WE'RE TALKING. MAJOR WATER EVENT AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUOUT COASTAL.