Evacuations, state of emergency in North Carolina as Hurricane Erin looms
The Outer Banks are expected to be the area of the United States hit the hardest by Erin, with local officials declaring a State of Emergency for Dare County and evacuations for Hatteras Island. Residents have been told to evacuate by 8 a.m. EDT Tuesday.
A tropical storm watch and a storm surge watch have been issued along the coast of North Carolina due to the rising threats from Erin. The watches advise people to "plan for life-threatening storm surge flooding." The watches will likely be upgraded to warnings as Erin draws near.
"Now is the time to make final preparations, secure property, evacuate with all personal belongings and follow instructions from your property management company," Dare County officials said in a statement.
People who stay behind to ride out the storm may be cut off from the mainland for several days as Highway 12, the main road in the area, is likely to be impassable. Waves are predicted to be between 10 and 20 feet along the Outer Banks with the pounding waves to persist most of the week.
"Roads will likely be impassable under several feet of water, and vehicles will likely be submerged," officials said. "Large dangerous waves will likely inundate and destroy protective dune structures. Severe flooding will likely extend inland where there is vulnerable or no protective dune structure flooding homes and businesses with some structural damage possible."
Elsewhere along the Atlantic coast, beaches are announcing closures due to the risk of rip currents from Hurricane Erin. Wildwood, New Jersey, is one of the beaches that is closed to swimmers, saying on Facebook, "To ensure the safety of everyone, including those who may be called to perform a rescue, please stay on the sand until the storm passes later this week."
Puerto Rico flooded as Erin tracks nearby
Parts of Puerto Rico were underwater in the wake of Erin, which unleashed heavy rain across the island over the weekend. The eye of the major hurricane stayed north of Puerto Rico, but it tracked close enough for tropical downpours to flood regions of the island.
Nearly 150,000 electric customers were without power due to impacts of the hurricane, according to The Associated Press, but that number has gradually declined as weather conditions improve.
San Juan measured 2.9 inches of rain since late last week, but some remote areas picked up as much as 8 inches.
Cleanup is underway, but residents are advised that the far-reaching influence of Erin will continue to produce life-threatening rip currents in the coming days.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NYC beaches to close as Hurricane Erin threatens massive waves, riptides
Swimming will be prohibited at all New York City beaches Wednesday and Thursday as Hurricane Erin is threatening to bring dangerous rip currents and waves as high as 13 feet to shores all along the East Coast. Mayor Adams and Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, the city's Parks Department commissioner, announced the planned closures Tuesday afternoon. In a statement, they said visitors will be able to access the sand, but can't go into the water. 'We strongly urge all New Yorkers to heed these warnings and not risk their lives by entering the water,' Rodriguez-Rosa said. Parks Department lifeguards and Parks Enforcement Patrol officers will be posted along city beaches, including the Rockaways and Coney Island, to enforce the swimming prohibition, according to a press release disseminated by the Mayor's Office. Erin is the first Atlantic hurricane this year. The National Weather Service labeled it a Category 2 storm Tuesday morning as it barreled north from the Caribbean. A high surf advisory was placed in effect for Wednesday through Thursday for all Atlantic Ocean beaches, Governor Kathy Hochul said Tuesday. Ocean seas are expected to build 11 to 15 feet. 'New Yorkers are no strangers to hurricanes — that is why I'm urging those living in areas that may be impacted to stay safe and exercise caution until the hurricane tapers off later this week,' Hochul said. Hurricane Erin will roar past the Bahamas tonight and is expected to move northwest into the Atlantic between the East Coast and Bermuda on Wednesday and Thursday. The storm will produce life-threatening rip currents along East Coast beaches, impacting New York, New Jersey and Long Island, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tuesday afternoon, the tropical cyclone was around 650 miles southwest of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. The storm's intensity will fluctuate over the next few days. New York and New Jersey are expected to see rainfall as a result of the storm. Forecasters believe the center of the storm will remain far offshore as it travels northward, yet is still likely to bring damaging, tropical-force winds, large swells and life-threatening rip currents. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy urged people to avoid swimming at beaches on Tuesday. 'Hurricane Erin is expected to cause dangerous rip currents along the Shore for the next several days. Please avoid swimming in the ocean, especially when lifeguards are not present. It is more important that you stay alive than get one more beach day before the end of summer,' Murphy said on X. ________
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Rip current risks rise as Hurricane Erin stirs South Florida beaches
A system linked to Hurricane Erin is expected to bring higher surf and dangerous rip currents to South Florida in the coming days, with Broward County beaches facing the greatest risk, according to forecasters. Lifeguards and fire rescue crews in Hollywood Beach are on alert as red warning flags and safety signs go up, urging visitors to avoid the water altogether. For those who do enter, officials stress staying close to lifeguard stands. Despite the warnings, many beachgoers continue to enjoy the sand and sun. "I just have to be on the lookout for it," said Nichole Billings, when asked about rip currents. "You can always just choose not to go in the water." Reanna Squire, visiting from the United Kingdom, admitted she only recently learned about the risks. "We're just being safe, staying in the shallow ends," she said, adding that the dangers don't scare her away. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Erin's offshore system is fueling the rip current threat. "The combination of the wind flow and the increasing swell agitates the rip currents along the coastline," explained Anthony Reynes, a meteorologist with the agency. Local officials caution that rip currents are frequently underestimated, even by strong swimmers. "They cause a lot of drownings," said Joyce Fuhrman, Chief of Marine Safety at Hollywood Beach. "Whether you're a strong swimmer or not, always check the warning signs and listen to lifeguards—conditions change hourly." Fuhrman offered one way to spot the hidden danger: "If you see waves breaking to the right and left but not in the middle, most likely a rip current is flowing right through there." Hollywood Beach has posted QR codes near lifeguard stations, giving beachgoers quick access to tide times and current conditions from their phones. Fuhrman noted that low tide is usually the most dangerous period, when rip currents pull the strongest. She also emphasized a critical survival tip: "Don't swim against a rip current. Swim sideways to get out of it." Forecasters say Wednesday and Thursday could bring the strongest rip current risks as the storm system continues to churn offshore. Fire rescue officials noted that warning signs may remain posted overnight if conditions stay hazardous. For now, authorities urge beachgoers to respect the water, know the risks, and when in doubt—stay out.
CBS News
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- CBS News
Heavy rain Wednesday could cause flooding in Tri-State Area. Get the First Alert Weather Day forecast.
Heavy rain could lead to flooding in parts of the Tri-State Area on Wednesday and Thursday, triggering First Alert Weather Days. While weather conditions have been pretty quiet to begin the week, they're going to become much more active in the short term. Tuesday night, clouds will start to increase, a few sprinkles and/or light showers may develop towards dawn. Lows will mainly be in the low to mid 60s. The chance of rain then increases exponentially throughout the day on Wednesday. The morning hours will feature isolated light showers and maybe some drizzle, but by the afternoon, heavy rain will already be ongoing across the northern suburbs. That heavy rain becomes more widespread and more intense by the evening hours, continuing through the overnight hours of Wednesday into early Thursday morning. Rainfall rates could approach 1 inch per hour at times, therefore the risk of flash flooding is imminent. Temperature-wise, another below average day is expected on Wednesday, with highs only in the low 70s. After a wet early morning, the rain tapers off by late morning on Thursday. Final rainfall totals will average 1-2 inches, with some locally higher amounts possible. As the rain ends, Hurricane Erin will be between 350-450 miles offshore. While no direct impacts are likely, indirect impacts are highly likely. These effects will come in the form of dangerous rip currents, very high surf that could reach as high as 15 feet in some locations, and coastal flooding that could result in 1-2 feet of inundation. Gusty winds will also be an issue at the coast, gusting between 35-50 mph. Those winds, in conjunction with saturated soils from the heavy rain, may lead to downed trees and power lines. The main timeframe of Erin's coastal impacts will be throughout the day on Thursday and could linger into Friday. High Surf Advisory for all beaches in New Jersey, New York City and the south shore of Long Island from Wednesday into Thursday. Coastal Flood Watch for Monmouth and Ocean counties from Thursday into Friday. Jersey Shore: Windy conditions, gusting between 35-45 mph, very high surf, dangerous rip currents, coastal flooding, and beach erosion. Waves 8-13 feet. Long Island: Windy conditions, gusting between 35-50 mph. Very high surf, dangerous rip currents, coastal flooding, and beach erosion. Waves 10-15 feet. NYC: Breezy conditions, gusting between 20-40 mph. City beaches will see very high surf, dangerous rip currents, coastal flooding, and beach erosion. Waves 8-13 feet. Hudson Valley, Northern & Central New Jersey, Connecticut: Not much effects in these areas other than some clouds and gusty winds, gusting between 25-35 mph.
