Hurricane Erin's high waves thrash coast of North Carolina

Hurricane Erin is soaking parts of coastal North Carolina as the storm brushes along the US East Coast.

North Carolina's Outer Banks are worst affected, with authorities closing a key highway on the barrier islands, but the category 2 storm is not expected to make landfall in the US.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned people to avoid swimming at "most US East Coast beaches due to life-threatening surf and rip currents".

Forecasters expect Erin, which is packing maximum sustained winds of 105mph (168km/h), to peak by Thursday. It has already barrelled through the Caribbean, drenching Puerto Rico.

Meteorologists say the hurricane is unusually big, with tropical storm winds spanning 500 miles.

The NHC said in its 20:00 EDT (00:00 GMT) update on Wednesday that "weakening is likely to begin by Friday, but Erin is forecast to remain a hurricane into the weekend".

Waves as high as 30ft (9.14m) were forming along the seaboard in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday.

On the Outer Banks, Highway 12 from Oregon Inlet to Hatteras Village was closed because conditions were too dangerous.

The state's ferry system has evacuated more than 2,200 people since mandatory evacuations were ordered this week on Hatteras and Ocracoke.

Some beachgoers were still swimming in the sea at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina on Wednesday, despite the town's no-swimming advisory that is in effect till Friday. At least 60 people were rescued at the same beach from rip currents on Monday.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein warned people to get ready.

"It's a serious storm," he said. "No-one should be in the ocean."

Stein said the state had three "swift-water rescue teams" and 200 National Guard troops ready to help people with boats, aircrafts and other vehicles.

Lily, the hostess of Miller's Waterfront Restaurant in the Outer Banks town of Nags Head, told the BBC the wind was "starting to pick up" and the weather had become cloudy.

The storm was not currently affecting business, she said, adding that "most weather channels are overreacting" - although she added it might be a different story farther south in Hatteras Island.

Vicki Harrison, who works at the Harbor House Seafood Market on Hatteras Island, said she had chosen not to join those evacuating.

"They evacuated all the tourists on Monday morning, and the residents on Tuesday," she told the BBC. "But we chose to stay."

She said her family had lived in Hatteras for 40 years and had to evacuate several times.

"We would have more trouble evacuating than staying," she said.

"We're very safe, we're all hunkered down, we've got plenty of food and plenty of water."