A tropical storm warning has been issued for North Carolina as Hurricane Erin churns up the east coast of the U.S. as a Category 2 storm.

Hurricane Erin is nearing the North Carolina coast, and its far-reaching effects are already causing rip currents and bigger waves along East Coast beaches.Gov. Josh Stein has declared a State of Emergency as North Carolina prepares for impacts from ...

Even more significant is Erin’s massive size. Forecasters say hurricane-force winds are now stretching out as far as 105 miles from Erin’s center, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward to 265 miles.

The storm, off North Carolina, was generating life-threatening surf and rip currents and causing beach closures along the East Coast.

Hurricane Erin is a large and powerful storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and a central pressure of 948 mb.

"Conditions expected to deteriorate soon in the North Carolina Outer Banks," the National Hurricane Center said in its 2 p.m. ET update, pointing out swimming at most East Coast beaches is strongly discouraged "due to life-threatening surf and rip currents."