Hurricane Erin is forcing evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks as it churns in the Atlantic where high winds and heavy rain are pelting the Turks and Caicos Islands and parts of the Bahamas.

Ocracoke residents will be allowed to return home after North Carolina announced a limited ferry schedule. And Friday morning’s high tide cycle should be the worst of Erin’s flooding.

Hurricane Erin strengthened on Wednesday as it headed north in the Atlantic. Here's the latest update, path, warnings and more for the Jersey Shore.

High surf advisories are in effect from Florida to Massachusetts, with Wednesday marking the peak for dangerous and destructive waves. Waves could reach 10 to 20 feet in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, 11 feet in the Southeast, and 15 feet in the Northeast.

Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph as its outer bands pounded the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with gusty winds and heavy rains early Sunday.

Dramatic aerial footage shows storm surge flooding homes and a motel in North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Aug. 19 as Hurricane Erin battered the coast. Officials ordered evacuations in Dare County, warning of life-threatening winds and rising waters.

Hurricane Erin’s core missed the U.S., but the cyclone led to flooded roadways and eroded dunes. Coastal flooding was reported in North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and New York.

Hurricane Erin is moving away, but the threat of rip currents and coastal flooding remains. Here's the latest forecast.