Rough surf conditions and dangerous rip currents have forced many beaches to ban swimming and boogie boarding this week.

Hurricane Erin was taking aim at the U.S. East Coast on Tuesday evening, according to forecasters who are warning Americans of life-threatening rip currents along beaches that could persist for days.

Although it will not make landfall in the U.S., Hurricane Erin is affecting much of the East Coast. A look at its impact in New Jersey.

Five states are at risk of heavy flooding as Hurricane Erin rapidly approaches the East Coast. Newsweek's live blog is closed.

Hurricane Erin is forecast to “substantially grow in size” while moving closer to Bermuda Tuesday with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (mph). The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that the category three hurricane was about 675 miles south west of Bermuda and that a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands,

Hurricane Erin regained Category 4 strength Sunday night as its outer bands pounded the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with gusty winds and heavy rains.

Hurricane Erin is forecast to remain well offshore but still bring hazardous currents and possible erosion like previous offshore hurricanes before it.

Powerful 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 for a time Saturday before becoming a Category 4,