Officials Issue Beach Warnings for East Coast as Hurricane Erin Moves North
Although the center of the storm will stay far offshore, its outer edges are expected to bring high winds, large swells, and life-threatening rip currents.
Hurricane Erin continued to churn northward as federal forecasters warned people at East Coast beaches not to go into the water due to potentially life-threatening conditions.
National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters say they are confident that the center of the storm will stay far offshore, although its outer edges are expected to bring high winds, large swells, and rip currents on Thursday and Friday.
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NBC News
26 minutes ago
- NBC News
Hurricane Erin eyes the East Coast with dangerous surf and potential flooding
NBC News' Aaron Gilchrist reports from the Outer Banks tonight as residents brace for Hurricane Erin's impact. This comes as dangerous surf forces closures along the East 20, 2025
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
New England dries out a bit Thursday, but winds and high surf ramp up as Erin approaches
Staying cool in the upper 50s and low 60s, and drying out after a few early-morning sprinkles. The skies across Greater Boston should turn from mostly cloudy to partly sunny in the afternoon. Highs will reach around 70 degrees. Hurricane Erin will lurk close to New England and increase winds throughout the day. Boston and the Southern New England coast may feel a healthy easterly breeze to about 15 miles per hour, with gusts ranging from 20 to 30 miles per hour into the evening. A few showers could push into Southern New England later Thursday, but mostly south of the Mass Pike and near the shore. Staying partly cloudy overnight with lows around 60 with gusts continuing. Advertisement Highs on Thursday will reach the low 70s for most of the region. Boston Globe The setup — breezy conditions build as Erin nears Wednesday's system will clear the region by early Thursday morning, with most showers wrapping up before we get up for the day. For early commuters, you may see some patches of fog with lingering sprinkles, but Boston should be clear of raindrops by the time you get going. It might be a good idea to pack the umbrella just in case there is a spot shower lingering. Advertisement High pressure will build near the region, leading to decreasing clouds throughout the day. Northern New England sees sunshine before Boston does, but eventually, mostly cloudy skies in the morning should lead to more periods of sunshine in the afternoon. Not everyone will see afternoon sunshine, however, as Erin's outermost clouds infringe on Massachusetts' South Coast and the Cape and Islands. There may be a shower or two that clip the Cape later in the day. This high pressure is perfectly timed as Erin makes a near approach to New England Thursday, directing the storm out to sea. The storm's eye will pass more than 400 miles offshore, but the pressure difference between Erin and the building high pressure to the northwest of New England will be felt. Aside from the few sprinkles on the Cape from Erin, Boston and coastal Southern New England will feel the gusty conditions build during the day. Wind speeds will be from the east, thanks to the strong counterclockwise rotation of Erin, at about 10 to 15 miles per hour. Wind gusts will build to 20 to 30 miles per hour Thursday afternoon in Boston, the North and South Shores, the Cape and Islands, and along the South Coast and Southern Rhode Island. The strongest wind gusts will be concentrated over the Cape and Islands Thursday night into Friday morning. Breezy conditions will develop throughout Thursday and into Friday. Some gusts across the Southeast may build to 30 mph. Boston Globe High surf advisory, dangerous rip currents With Erin approaching, high surf and rip currents will stretch along the New England shoreline. Some breaking waves could reach as high as 15 to 20 feet. Boston will be protected by the harbor, but if you have beach plans, I wouldn't risk taking a dip in the ocean or a boat out to sea; it'll be too choppy out there and, quite frankly, dangerous. Advertisement High surf advisories and rip current statements have been posted through Saturday for parts of the New England coastline. Boston Globe The high pressure will also bring more dry air into the region to close out the work week, keeping dew points around 60 degrees on Thursday, with Friday and Saturday closer to the mid-50s. Dew points will stay low enough to keep the air feeling comfortable through the rest of the work week. Boston Globe Highs on Friday will reach the mid to upper 70s, with some folks breaking into the low 80s. Boston Globe Wednesday's breakdown Greater Boston: A chance for an early-morning sprinkle, then drying out. Turning from mostly cloudy to overcast to partly sunny skies in the afternoon. There is a very low chance of a late shower near the city later in the day. Highs near 70. Breeze picks up in the afternoon with gusts of 20 mph or higher later Thursday. Southeastern Mass.: A chance for a morning sprinkle, otherwise mostly dry with some thinning clouds. Chance for more clouds in the afternoon with highs in the upper 60s and low 70s. Breeze picks up throughout the day with gusts to 20 mph or higher. Central/Western Mass.: A mostly cloudy start with some clouds breaking as the day goes on. Highs to the low 70s from Worcester to Springfield, mid- to upper 60s across the Berkshires. A slight breeze in the afternoon and evening. Cape and Islands: Seeing mostly cloudy skies with the chance for a sprinkle or brief shower. Highs in the upper 60s and low 70s. Breeze picks up as the day goes on with some gusts to 30 mph Thursday night into Friday. Rhode Island: Seeing mostly cloudy skies with a low chance for an afternoon sprinkle south of Providence. Otherwise, some sun is breaking through north of Providence. Highs to the upper 60s and low 70s. Advertisement New Hampshire: Different weather up north! Clearing skies early with partly to mostly sunny skies on Thursday. Highs in the low and mid-70s. A slight breeze of about 10 to 15 mph. Vermont/Maine: Partly to mostly sunny skies across both states with highs ranging in the 70s. A breeze of about 10 mph. A look at the forecast across Boston for the next seven days. Boston Globe for our , which will arrive straight into your inbox bright and early each weekday morning. Ken Mahan can be reached at
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
2 more beachfront homes near collapse as Hurricane Erin's waves pound North Carolina's Outer Banks
Two homes on the North Carolina Outer Banks sit precariously in the high waves with their days seemingly numbered. Since 2020, 11 neighboring homes have fallen into the Atlantic Ocean. While the swells from storms like Hurricane Erin make things worse, the conditions threatening the houses are always present — beach erosion and climate change are sending the ocean closer and closer to their front doors. The two houses in the surf in Rodanthe have received plenty of attention as Erin passes several hundred miles (kilometers) to the east. The village of about 200 people sticks out further into the Atlantic than any other part of North Carolina. Jan Richards looked at the houses Tuesday as high tides sent surges of water into the support beams on the two-story homes. She gestured where two other houses used to be before their recent collapse. 'The one in the middle fell last year. It fell into that house. So you can see where it crashed into that house. But that has been really resilient and has stayed put up until probably this storm,' Richards said. The ocean has destroyed at least 11 houses since 2020 At least 11 other houses have toppled into the surf in Rodanthe in the past five years, according to the National Park Service, which oversees much of the Outer Banks. Barrier islands like the Outer Banks were never an ideal place for development, according to experts. The islands typically form as waves deposit sediment off the mainland. And they move based on weather patterns and other ocean forces. Some even disappear. Decades ago, houses and other buildings were smaller, less elaborate and easier to move from the encroaching surf, said David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. 'Perhaps it was more well understood in the past that the barrier island was dynamic, that it was moving,' Hallac said. 'And if you built something on the beachfront it may not be there forever or it may need to be moved.' The Outer Banks even had to move their famous lighthouse from the sea Even the largest structures aren't immune. Twenty-six years ago the Outer Banks most famous landmark, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse had to be moved over a half-mile (880 meters) inland. When it was built in 1870, the lighthouse was 1,500 feet (457 meters) from the ocean. Fifty years later, the Atlantic was 300 feet (91 meters) away. And erosion keeps coming. Some places along the Outer Banks lose as much as 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 meters) of beachfront a year, Hallac said. 'And so every year, 10 to 15 feet of that white sandy beach is gone,' Hallac said. 'And then the dunes and then the back-dune area. And then all of a sudden, the foreshore, that area between low water and high water, is right up next to somebody's backyard. And then the erosion continues.' 'Like a toothpick in wet sand' The ocean attacks the houses by the wooden pilings that provide their foundation and keep them above the water. The supports could be 15 feet (4.5 meters) deep. But the surf slowly takes away the sand that is packed around them. 'It's like a toothpick in wet sand or even a beach umbrella,' Hallac said. 'The deeper you put it, the more likely it is to stand up straight and resist leaning over. But if you only put it down a few inches, it doesn't take much wind for that umbrella to start leaning. And it starts to tip over.' A single home collapse can shed debris up to 15 miles (25 kilometers) along the coast, according to a report from a group of federal, state and local officials who are studying threatened oceanfront structures in North Carolina. Collapses can injure beachgoers and lead to potential contamination from septic tanks, among other environmental concerns. There are solutions but they are expensive Among the possible solutions is hauling dredged sand to eroding beaches, something that is already being done in other communities on the Outer Banks and East Coast. But it could cost $40 million or more in Rodanthe, posing a major financial challenge for its small tax base. Other ideas include buying out threatened properties, moving or demolishing them. But those options are also very expensive. And funding is limited. Braxton Davis, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, a nonprofit, said the problem isn't limited to Rodanthe or even to North Carolina. He pointed to erosion issues along California's coast, the Great Lakes and some of the nation's rivers. 'This is a national issue,' Davis said, adding that sea levels are rising and 'the situation is only going to become worse.'
