The hatched areas on the National Hurricane Center's tropical outlook map indicate "areas where a tropical cyclone — which could be a tropical depression, tropical storm or hurricane — could develop," said National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome.

Hurricane Erin is tracking northwest between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda, bringing dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents to Florida and the Carolinas through midweek.

The National Hurricane Center is tracking two areas of interest in the eastern Atlantic for possible development. This is in addition to Hurricane Erin, which is anticipated to remain offshore of the Eastern U.S. coast. The tropical wave located over the central tropical Atlantic is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

As of 7 a.m. CDT Wednesday, the center of Category 2 Hurricane Erin was located about 400 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., or 560 miles west-southwest of Bermuda, and was tracking to the north-northwest at 13 mph. Erin’s sustained winds were 100 mph, making it a Category 2 storm.

Hurricane Erin stays offshore but brings rip currents, high surf and gusty winds to East Coast beaches through Friday. Follow Newsweek's live blog.

Hurricane Erin, now a Category 2 hurricane, has prompted a state of emergency in North Carolina and is expected to bring dangerous waves and rip currents to beaches along the East Coast. "To folks on the coast, now is the time to prepare," North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein warned on Tuesday.

Here's a quick, easy-to-read look on the latest about Tropical Storm Erin, including what Florida residents should be doing.