UPDATE----HURRICANE ERIN AND THE EAST COAST

Hurricane Erin's higher tides and big waves have arrived along much of the U.S. East Coast, with the large storm prompting the expansion of tropical storm and coastal flooding advisories.  Beachfront property owners are bracing for the worst with predictions for a life-threatening storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion, with "large, powerful, life-threatening" waves of 15 to 20 feet expected to batter beaches, especially in North Carolina, for 48 hours or more as the hurricane crawls northward offshore through at least Aug. 21, if not longer.  MORE AT Hurricane Erin to bring 'powerful' 20-foot waves along East Coast: Live updates