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 was nearing North Carolina's coast Wednesday, threatening huge waves and flooding as the strengthening Category 2 storm triggered mandatory evacuation orders despite its offshore path.Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands.

By Rich McKay (Reuters) -Hurricane Erin, churning north in the Atlantic hundreds of miles offshore, is expected to trigger a dangerous storm surge and tropical storm conditions on Wednesday along North Carolina’s Outer Banks and other stretches of the U.