Hurricane Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic waters hundreds of miles off the U.S., prompting officials to close beaches along the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast.

As Hurricane Erin churns in the Atlantic, local swiftwater rescue teams from Knightdale, Wake Forest and Charlotte are mobilizing to North Carolina's coast.

The Category 2 hurricane saw its winds weaken to as low as 100 mph on Aug. 19 as its north side battled winds, but the National Hurricane Center said early on Aug. 20 that the storm had reformed an inner eye wall, and a Hurricane Hunter mission this morning is expected to help the center determine if winds have increased in response.

New York and New Jersey are prepping for Hurricane Erin to make downfall on the U.S. coastline, and while the storm isn't going to make landfall, residents will definitely feel the impact.

Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings have been issued for parts of North Carolina and Virginia Beach and up to Chincoteague.

The Iwo Jima ARG returned stateside as a hurricane in the western Atlantic Ocean threatened high winds and large swells along the Eastern Seaboard.

By JEFFREY COLLINS They are the hurricanes of legend, the bowling balls that cross the entire Atlantic Ocean, menaced ships of yore and make the long, curved lines on the hurricane charts. Cape

For the latest news on Hurricane Erin, visit coverage for Tuesday, Aug. 20. Hurricane Erin fluctuated in intensity on Monday, Aug. 18, and expanded in size as people fled North Carolina's Outer Banks and forecasters warned of "life-threatening" rip currents and surf conditions along most of the East Coast.

Forecasters are tracking two tropical disturbances behind Hurricane Erin, but neither shows signs of becoming an immediate threat to land. One system east of the Lesser Antilles has only a medium chance of development,