The Outer Banks in North Carolina are under evacuation warning as Hurricane Erin whips up potentially 20-foot high waves and flooding along the east coast.

Erin, moving near the Leeward Islands, strengthened into a hurricane on Friday morning and is expected to pass north of Puerto Rico this weekend, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane Erin became the first hurricane of the season Friday morning, and is expected to develop into a major Category 3 storm this weekend then intensify further as it passes to the north of Puerto Rico in the Atlantic,