Though Hurricane Erin will not make landfall in the U.S., here's why a Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for parts of North Carolina.

While Erin is expected to take a northward turn in the Atlantic, a new system off the coast of Africa has the National Hurricane Center's attention.

The center of Hurricane Erin is expected to remain offshore, but forecasters expect eastern North Carolina to see coastal flooding, tropical-storm-force winds, overwash and beach erosion.

Tropical Storm Erin's path puts some homeowners at heightened risk, as the storm starts building into a hurricane tracked by meteorologists.

Hurricane Erin is expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents across the U.S. eastern seaboard this week, according to the National Hurricane Center. It is now a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph.

Parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks are under mandatory evacuation orders, as the National Hurricane Center warns that Hurricane Erin could bring tall waves topping 15 to 20 feet.

In recent decades, the Atlantic has been warming at record rates, helping hurricanes explode into powerhouses.