Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina's Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes before slowly moving away.

Beachfront property owners braced for the worst amid predictions of a storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion. Powerful waves of 15 to 20 feet are expected to slam beaches, especially in North Carolina, for 48 hours or more as the hurricane crawls northward offshore through at least Thursday.

The road remains closed south of Oregon Inlet and impassable in several places, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.

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.

As Hurricane Erin grows in size, impacts from the storm’s intensity will be felt “well outside” the storm’s center, including in Hampton Roads. The storm’s impacts

A "wild" video shows the moment waves from Hurricane Erin crashed into homes in the Outer Banks. The North Carolina homes were protected by stilts as the water rushed down the street and around them, according to the video, which was published by The New York Post. The Post referred to the water as a "tidal surge."

Two coastal homes in Rodanthe, North Carolina, appear on the verge of collapse as Hurricane Erin's wind and waves lash the East Coast.

Locals and business owners say Hurricane Erin's impacts will take time to rebuild from, especially as NC 12 remains closed with no estimated time of reopening.

Hurricane Erin is expected to impact the Outer Banks in North Carolina, sending massive waves crashing into the islands.

The sandy, vulnerable barrier islands on North Carolina's coast may see houses swept away and a vital roadway flooded — yet again.

The massive storm is expected to bring coastal flooding and tropical storm conditions to parts of the mid-Atlantic despite not making landfall.

Forecasters predicted the storm would peak Thursday and said it could regain strength but was expected to turn out to sea.