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.

Forecasters said Erin should begin to slowly weaken as it increased wind shear. However, it's predicted to remain a major hurricane until late next week.

Hurricane Erin grew larger and more powerful Monday, lashing parts of the Caribbean and expected to drive hazardous surf and rip currents along the US East Coast later this week. The storm regained Category 4 strength with top sustained winds near 130 mph (215 kph) as it moved closer to the southeastern Bahamas,

The storm is expected to continue to fluctuate in intensity and could double or even triple in size as it moves north and west, reports said.

As of 11 AM AST Sunday, the National Hurricane Center reported that Erin’s center was located about 200 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 240 miles east of Grand Turk Island. The hurricane is packing maximum sustained winds of 125 mph, making it a Category 3 storm. Its minimum central pressure is estimated at 946 millibars.

Get an abbreviated, text view of what's happening with Hurricane Erin. Hurricane Erin was a Category 4 storm again Monday morning and is expected to grow even larger and stronger, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.