Hurricane Erin was a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds on Monday night as it passed to the east of the Bahamas. The forecast track keeps the center of the storm well away from the U.S. East Coast this week, but tropical storm and storm surge watches have been issued for the North Carolina Outer Banks. National Hurricane Center

According to NHC, a Storm Surge Watch means, "A possibility of life- threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours."