North Carolina is under a state of emergency as parts of the Outer Banks are in the middle of evacuation, and other areas brace for storm surges.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered and cruise ships were rerouted as a state of emergency was declared in North Carolina. Hurricane Erin, now a Category 2 hurricane, has prompted a state of emergency in North Carolina and is expected to bring dangerous waves and rip currents to beaches along the East Coast.

Several days of heavy surf and high winds and waves could wash out parts of NC 12, which connects the popular vacation spot to the mainland, the National Weather Service said.

On North Carolina’s Outer Banks, barrier islands that stretch over 175 miles, coastal flooding was expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Thursday. Two of the four counties on the Outer

Governor Stein declared a State of Emergency as North Carolina prepares for impacts from Hurricane Erin and mobilizes resources and personnel to assist along the coast.

Officials at the North Carolina coast on Sunday declared a state of emergency in Dare County and ordered an evacuation of Hatteras Island at the Outer Banks, ahead of expected flooding from Hurricane Erin.