(NEW YORK) -- Hurricane Erin, now a powerful Category 4 storm churning in the Caribbean, is not forecast to hit land, but it will impact North Carolina and bring dangerous waves and rip currents to the U.S. East Coast.
Here's the latest forecast:
Erin’s outer bands lashed the Caribbean this weekend, flooding Puerto Rico and leaving more than 80,000 customers on the island without power on Monday.
A flood watch remains in effect for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for more heavy rain on Monday, while tropical storm alerts were issued in Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas for up to 6 inches of rain and powerful wind gusts through Tuesday.
Erin is forecast to remain a major hurricane through at least mid-week as it begins to move north and then northeast by Thursday. Erin will move between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda on Thursday and Friday and then head out to sea.
While Erin won't hit the U.S. directly, the storm's biggest impact on the East Coast will be along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where coastal flood watches, tropical storm watches and storm surge watches are in effect. The storm surge could be as high as 4 feet.
High surf advisories have also been issued for the Outer Banks, with waves forecast to reach 10 to 15 feet, and even 20 feet in some areas.
The peak of the dangerous waves in the Carolinas will be on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the Outer Banks by late Wednesday.
Officials in Dare County, located in the central Outer Banks, have issued a countywide state of emergency, as well as a mandatory evacuation order for visitors and residents on Hatteras Island. In nearby Hyde County, Ocracoke Island is also under a state of emergency, with mandatory evacuations for residents and visitors.
Lifeguards up and down the East Coast are on alert for dangerous waves from Erin.
A high surf advisory is in effect from Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina, where waves could reach 6 feet.
By Thursday, as Erin moves north, beaches in New Jersey and Long Island will see massive waves up to 12 feet.
Life-threatening rip currents will also be widespread along the East Coast all week, and likely through the weekend, due to these unsettled waters.
ABC News' Aidan Gellert and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.
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