(MSNBC) Atlantic Beach, N.C. —   Hurricane Dennis continued to parallel the U.S. coast in a path expected to keep the brunt of the storm away from land, while its edge brought pelting rain, strong winds and the threat of beachfront flooding. Forecasters said the hurricane will likely turn northeast away from the Carolina coast, but they said North Carolina still has a chance of being hit.

“(Dennis) has a very large eye, and the highest winds are well removed from the center,” Todd Kimberlain, a meteorologist with the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said Monday. “So even if the center stays offshore, there’s a good chance in the warned area that they’re going to experience hurricane conditions.”
 
And Center Director Jerry Jarrell told NBC’s “Today” show that the storm should stay strong for two or three days, with some computer models suggesting that even if it heads out to sea it could later head back towards land.
 
A hurricane warning was in effect for much of the North Carolina coast, and a smattering of residents sought refuge in shelters in several coastal counties. The barrier islands along the Outer Banks were under an evacuation order.
 
NBC’s Robert Hager, reporting from Atlantic Beach, N.C., said the greatest danger appeared to be erosion to beaches, particularly those on the Outer Banks. At 8 a.m., Dennis was centered about 85 miles south of Cape Lookout and was moving northeast at 12 mph. Maximum sustained winds were near 100 mph and could produce flooding up to 4 feet above normal tide levels.
 
A tropical storm warning was in effect from North Carolina to the Maryland border while a gale warning was in effect from Chincoteague, Va., to Cape Henlopen, Del.
 
A flood watch remained in the North Carolina coastal counties of Brunswick and New Hanover where up to 10 inches of rain was expected by morning. Isolated tornadoes also were possible Monday.
 
What’s causing new concern for forecasters is that the the hurricane’s center is bobbing and weaving.