Hermine to deliver 'life-threatening' surf, winds from North Carolina to New England

Former Hurricane Hermine continued to deliver whipping winds, heavy rain and "life-threatening" surf along the Mid-Atlantic coast Saturday during its slow march north.

Tropical storm warnings extended up through New England as the now-post-tropical cyclone — blamed for at least two deaths — was threatening to wash out barbecues and hamper beach plans over the Labor Day weekend from the Carolinas to Massachusetts.

"Don't let the name fool you — it's still quite dangerous," warned Weather Channel meteorologist Bonnie Schneider.

SEE ALSO: Hermine Thrashes Carolina Coasts as Storm Barrels North

Hermine first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane just east of St. Marks, Florida, early Friday morning, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands across the state amid thrashing winds and up to nearly 2 feet of rain in some areas.

The storm was downgraded Saturday morning, but could restrengthen to a hurricane again as it lurches up the East Coast, according to the National Weather Service.

The center of the storm was situated northeast of North Carolina and Virginia at 2 p.m. ET Saturday, and it was lashing areas of those states with wind gusts up to 50 mph, according to the NWS.

A man died when his tractor-trailer overturned Saturday morning amid heavy winds on a bridge near Dare County, North Carolina, according to the Tyrrell County Sheriff's Office. Authorities said all bridges in Dare would be closed until the winds died down.

Four people were also injured in the county, on North Carolina's northern coast, when a possible tornado spawned from the storm knocked over two trailers early Saturday morning.

Nearly 45,000 customers were already without power in the state, and more than 55,000 customers were without power in Virginia on Saturday morning, according to utility companies.

Rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches were possible for southeast Virginia on Saturday and 4 to 7 inches for northeast North Carolina, meteorologists said. The deluge, coupled with storm surges, were likely to cause flooding in eastern Virginia, according to Weather.com.

Ahead of the nasty weather, a Bruce Springsteen concert scheduled for Saturday in Virginia Beach was rescheduled for Monday.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency Friday night, along with North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also declared states of emergency as the storm was set to target those states next over the weekend.

Maryland could see up to 7 inches of rain while parts of New Jersey, New York and Delaware could each get up to 4 inches.

Coastal areas from the Mid-Atlantic states to southern New England will likely see "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions" until Monday, according to the NWS. Water levels could rise up 2 to 4 feet above ground from New Jersey to Connecticut if surges happen at high tide, the NWS warned.

Residents fearing a repeat of Superstorm Sandy, which battered the New Jersey coast in 2012, should prepare for the storm but keep in mind that the Hermine is expected to remain 100 miles off the coast of New Jersey, unlike Sandy, which made direct landfall, said NBC Meteorologist Bill Karins.

Former Hurricane Hermine continued to deliver whipping winds, heavy rain and "life-threatening" surf along the Mid-Atlantic coast Saturday during its slow march north.

Tropical storm warnings extended up through New England as the now-post-tropical cyclone — blamed for at least two deaths — was threatening to wash out barbecues and hamper beach plans over the Labor Day weekend from the Carolinas to Massachusetts.

"Don't let the name fool you — it's still quite dangerous," warned Weather Channel meteorologist Bonnie Schneider.

SEE ALSO: Hermine Thrashes Carolina Coasts as Storm Barrels North

Hermine first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane just east of St. Marks, Florida, early Friday morning, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands across the state amid thrashing winds and up to nearly 2 feet of rain in some areas.

The storm was downgraded Saturday morning, but could restrengthen to a hurricane again as it lurches up the East Coast, according to the National Weather Service.

The center of the storm was situated northeast of North Carolina and Virginia at 2 p.m. ET Saturday, and it was lashing areas of those states with wind gusts up to 50 mph, according to the NWS.

A man died when his tractor-trailer overturned Saturday morning amid heavy winds on a bridge near Dare County, North Carolina, according to the Tyrrell County Sheriff's Office. Authorities said all bridges in Dare would be closed until the winds died down.

Four people were also injured in the county, on North Carolina's northern coast, when a possible tornado spawned from the storm knocked over two trailers early Saturday morning.

Water from Roanoke Sound pounds the Virginia Dare Trail in Manteo, North Carolina, on Saturday as Tropical Storm Hermine passed the Outer Banks.

Nearly 45,000 customers were already without power in the state, and more than 55,000 customers were without power in Virginia on Saturday morning, according to utility companies.

Rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches were possible for southeast Virginia on Saturday and 4 to 7 inches for northeast North Carolina, meteorologists said. The deluge, coupled with storm surges, were likely to cause flooding in eastern Virginia, according to Weather.com.

Ahead of the nasty weather, a Bruce Springsteen concert scheduled for Saturday in Virginia Beach was rescheduled for Monday.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency Friday night, along with North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also declared states of emergency as the storm was set to target those states next over the weekend.

Maryland could see up to 7 inches of rain while parts of New Jersey, New York and Delaware could each get up to 4 inches.

Coastal areas from the Mid-Atlantic states to southern New England will likely see "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions" until Monday, according to the NWS. Water levels could rise up 2 to 4 feet above ground from New Jersey to Connecticut if surges happen at high tide, the NWS warned.

Residents fearing a repeat of Superstorm Sandy, which battered the New Jersey coast in 2012, should prepare for the storm but keep in mind that the Hermine is expected to remain 100 miles off the coast of New Jersey, unlike Sandy, which made direct landfall, said NBC Meteorologist Bill Karins.

"Bottom line is this storm isn't even close to what this region experienced from Hurricane Sandy but (it's) still significant," Karins said.

Amtrak had already canceled or altered some service on the East Coast as the storm approached.

Meanwhile, northern Florida could see another 2 inches of rain before weekend's end.

PHOTOS: Florida Surveys Damage After Hermine

Hermine was the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade, and Gov. Rick Scott declared an emergency in 51 counties that were battered by high winds and heavy rain Friday.

A homeless man in Marion County, in the northern part of the state, died when a tree was ripped from the ground by high winds and fell on him, Scott said.

More than 300,000 people around the state were still without power Saturday, and residents in the hardest-hit areas of the state might not have it restored for a week, authorities warned.

Scott surveyed the destruction by air Friday night, and continued his tour of affected areas on foot Saturday morning.

He urged power companies to strive to get the lights back on as soon as possible, and lamented the business that would be lost over the holiday weekend because of power outages and building damages.