Strong winds and waves from Hurricane Erin have battered Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard as dangerous rip currents continue to threaten from the Carolinas to New England.

“The center of Hurricane Erin made it as close in as 200 miles off the North Carolina coast on Thursday morning as forecast,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said. “The storm is expected to pass roughly 300 miles southeast of Nantucket as it moves out to sea.”

Hurricane Erin was the fifth named storm of the season. As of Thursday afternoon, the storm is still a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 100 mph. Its path is taking it away from the U.S., after, for the past few days, the storm has skirted the East Coast and caused dangerous waves and life-threatening rip currents.

Coastal flooding occurred with Thursday's high tide cycle and is likely again during Friday morning's high tide cycle.

The unusually large storm is moving away from the United States, but swells and dangerous rip currents will linger.

Hurricane Erin has pounded the North Carolina coast with strong waves and gusty winds as it slowly moves out to sea.

Hurricane Erin continues its track away from the United States, and the weather conditions in the Philadelphia region will improve considerably on Friday.

Most hurricanes that go down in history are remembered for the devastation they bring. But with little to no chance of hitting land, Hurricane Erin will be remembered for something else: its size.

Weather hazard maps have nearly 100 colors including six variations of red, a "bisque," "moccasin," cornflower blue, and Dodger blue. Experts are working to simplify the alerts.

Big waves and whipping winds are bringing dangerous beach conditions to the Massachusetts coast, prompting closures and warnings as Hurricane Erin churned hundreds of miles offshore.