Hurricane Erin's higher tides and big waves are battering much of the East Coast, with the huge storm prompting the expansion of tropical storm and coastal flooding advisories Wednesday.

Hurricane Erin intensified rapidly over the past week and is now hitting the coast of Virginia and North Carolina.

“The force of the rip currents and rough surf along the Atlantic coast this week is life-threatening. Hurricane Erin is producing a tremendous amount of energy that will create hazardous beach conditi...