Hurricane Erin was battering the northeast with strong winds and heavy surf on Friday morning as forecasters monitored three other systems in the Atlantic for possible tropical formation.

Erin is expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents along the beaches of the Bahamas, much of the east coast of the U.S. and Bermuda during the next several days. Rip current alerts extend along most of Florida's coastline with a high rip current risk for Palm Beach County and moderate risk for Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Hurricane Erin was forecast to cause possible coastal flooding into the weekend along the East Coast but was also expected to lose strength gradually.

Erin’s surf and storm surge could cause erosion along sections of the Florida and East Coast and shapes up as potentially worse for North Carolina’s barrier islands, which are under mandatory evacuation orders ahead of the four feet of storm surge and 20-foot offshore waves Erin is expected to bring.

Forecasters are keeping a close watch on other potential storm systems that could develop in the Atlantic Ocean in the next seven days.

Hurricane Erin brings swells to Florida. It's ideal for surfing but dangerous for beachgoers who see blue skies, but don't realize the dangers.

Get the complete, updated list of confirmed itinerary and port visit changes for ships impacted by Hurricane Erin.

Hurricane Erin is forcing evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks as it churns in the Atlantic where high winds and heavy rain are pelting the Turks and Caicos Islands and parts of the Bahamas.

Hurricane Erin exploded in strength to a Category 5 storm in the Caribbean before weakening on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Strong winds and waves battered Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard and dangerous rip currents threatened from the Carolinas to New England as Hurricane Erin made its way farther out to sea. The storm was forecast to cause possible coastal flooding into the weekend along the East Coast but was also expected to lose strength gradually.

Hurricane Erin made a sudden shift in trajectory Wednesday as Category 2 winds raced towards the U.S. East Coast, resulting in closed beaches and a state of emergency being declared in North Carolina.