Hurricane Erin forces evacuations on North Carolina's Outer Banks but it's expected to stay offshore

Tourists and residents waited for hours in a line of cars Monday at Ocracoke Island's ferry dock — the only way to leave other than by plane.

"We definitely thought twice," said Seth Brotherton, of Catfish, North Carolina, whose weeklong fishing trip ended abruptly. "But they said 'mandatory' and that pretty much means, 'get out of here.'"

Forecasters are confident that Erin will turn north and away from the eastern U.S., but it's still expected to strengthen in the coming days and whip up wild waves and tropical force winds along the coastal islands, Dave Roberts of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The storm intensified to a Category 4 with 140 mph (225 kph) maximum sustained winds Monday while it pelted the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the southeast Bahamas, according to the center.

Government officials in the Turks and Caicos Islands said all services were suspended on three of its islands and ordered residents there to stay home.

By Monday afternoon, the storm was located about 140 miles (220 kilometers) north of Grand Turk Island and about 850 miles (1,370 kilometers) southeast of Cape Hatteras.

On North Carolina's Outer Banks, coastal flooding was expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Thursday.

The evacuations that began Monday on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island came at the height of tourist season on the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that jut far into the Atlantic Ocean and are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges.

A year ago, Hurricane Ernesto stayed hundreds of miles offshore from the U.S. Eastern seaboard yet still produced high surf and swells that caused coastal damage.

This time there are concerns that several days of heavy surf, high winds and waves could wash out parts of the main highway, the National Weather Service said. Some routes could be impassible for several days, authorities warned.

Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and is spiking ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly.

Daniel Pullen, a professional photographer who lives on Hatteras Island, said he's already lost three days of work shooting family portraits because of the evacuation order.

But Pullen, who lives in Buxton, doesn't plan to evacuate because he could be stuck off the island for days and even weeks if the main road, Highway 12, washes out.

"It's a bit like Russian roulette," Pullen said. "Do you stay and take the chance of it hitting you? Or do you leave and take the chance of getting stuck off the island for weeks at a time? I would say the majority of Hatteras Island residents can't afford to stay in a motel for a week or two weeks."

Erin, the year's first Atlantic hurricane, reached a dangerous Category 5 status Saturday with 160 mph (260 kph) winds before weakening. It is expected to remain a large hurricane into midweek.

"You're dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It's a dangerous hurricane in any event," the hurricane center's Richard Pasch said.

Bermuda will experience the most severe threat from Erin on Thursday evening, said Phil Rogers, director of the Bermuda Weather Service. By then, waters could swell up to 24 feet (7.3 meters).

"Surfers, swimmers and boaters must resist the temptation to go out. The waters will be very dangerous and lives will be placed at risk," acting Minister of National Security Jache Adams said.

Erin's outer edges hit parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rains and tropical storm winds on Sunday and knocked out power to thousands.