Hurricane Erin is forcing evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks as it threatens to whip up wild waves and tropical force winds.

As rip tides from Hurricane Erin create dangerous conditions along the North Carolina coast, many residents and visitors have evacuated the Outer Banks, and local officials have warned people to stay away from the beaches.

Officials have ordered evacuations of Hatteras and Ocracoke islands even without a hurricane warning because that tiny ribbon of highway called N.C. 12 will likely be torn up and washed out in several places,