Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina's Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes before slowly moving away.

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.

A "wild" video shows the moment waves from Hurricane Erin crashed into homes in the Outer Banks. The North Carolina homes were protected by stilts as the water rushed down the street and around them, according to the video, which was published by The New York Post. The Post referred to the water as a "tidal surge."