H urricane Erin, now a Category 2 hurricane, has prompted a state of emergency in North Carolina and is expected to bring dangerous waves and rip currents to beaches along the East Coast. "To folks on the coast, now is the time to prepare," North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein warned on Tuesday.

Hurricane Erin neared North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Tuesday and threatened to whip up wild waves and tropical force winds.

While the hurricane is not anticipated to make landfall in Canada, coastal areas are still likely to face effects such as high winds and rough surf as the storm approaches the Atlantic provinces on Fr...