NEW YORK (AP) — New York and North Carolina have begun to reopen beaches that had been closed due to Hurricane Erin, which sent strong winds and dangerous waves across the U.S. East Coast.

Meteorologists are closely tracking the projected path and forecast of Hurricane Erin, which is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year.

Powerful Hurricane Erin continued lashing hundreds of miles of the Northeast coastline on Thursday after creating big waves and coastal flooding in the Mid-Atlantic. The sprawling hurricane is now turning northeast toward Bermuda and continues to bring widespread coastal impacts to the East Coast.