Hurricane Erin's higher tides and big waves are battering much of the East Coast, with the huge storm prompting the expansion of tropical storm and coastal flooding advisories on Wednesday. Beachfront property owners braced for the worst amid predictions of a storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion.

Hurricane Erin intensified rapidly over the past week and is now hitting the coast of Virginia and North Carolina.

“The force of the rip currents and rough surf along the Atlantic coast this week is life-threatening. Hurricane Erin is producing a tremendous amount of energy that will create hazardous beach conditi...