As the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season begins, there's already a threat of more storms. Here's a closer look at the tropics.

The storm has already prompted evacuation orders on North Carolina's Outer Banks and warnings about dangerous rip currents and swells along the East Coast.

Hurricane Erin has undergone a period of astonishingly rapid intensification — a phenomenon that has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms. It was a rare Category 5 on Saturday before weakening,

Erin is the fifth named storm to develop during the Atlantic hurricane season, which started just over two months ago. Last week, Tropical Storm Dexter formed in the western Atlantic but didn't pose a threat to land. In early July, Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall on the Carolina coast, bringing deadly flooding to the region.

Hurricane watchers are eying systems in the Atlantic basin. One has a medium chance of developing later this week.

Hurricane Erin is tracking just off the U.S. East Coast and is expected to bring dangerous storm surge, coastal flooding and powerful waves to North Carolina’s Outer Banks and parts of the mid-Atlantic.