By Tuesday morning, Erin had lost some strength from previous days and dropped to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph), the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

H urricane Erin, now a Category 2 hurricane, has prompted a tropical storm watch for North Carolina's Outer Banks and is expected to bring dangerous waves and rip currents to beaches along the East Coast. Here's the latest forecast:

Millions of people up and down the East Coast have been told to prepare for impacts from Hurricane Erin as the monster Category 2 hurricane continues on its journey across the Atlantic, bringing it close to the U.