The massive hurricane was picking up speed, traveling north at 14 mph, and its center was located about 295 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of North Carolina and Virginia as the impacts from Erin spread northward.

The International Space Station captured the unusually large storm as it swirled near the East Coast of the United States.

Hurricane Erin is marching north and is set to bring life-threatening rip currents, destructive waves, coastal flooding and possibly beach erosion to much of the East Coast. The conditions will last through Thursday before improving later on Friday and into Saturday.

Hurricane Erin's push up alongside the east coast is bringing rough seas and high winds to Cape Cod and the Islands, disrupting ferry travel in the waning weeks of summer.

The storm is bringing dangerous conditions to parts of the coast on Wednesday, but will then turn away from the United States.

Hurricane Erin may not be on track to make landfall, but it is still bringing dangerous and destructive impacts up and down the East Coast.

Hurricane Erin is tracking north as a Category 2 storm, nearly parallel to the East Coast. It is expected to strengthen back into a Category 3 hurricane later tonight. Follow here for live updates.

Dozens of people have been rescued from rip currents as Hurricane Erin churns up the Eastern seaboard. Authorities said about 60 people have been rescued from rip currents at Wrightsville Beach, N.C., according to the Wilmington Star-News and NBC affiliate WRAL-TV .

Most of New England's coastline is under a high surf advisory through Saturday as Hurricane Erin's powerful winds whip up rough surf and high swells.