Hurricane Erin Triggers Evacuation Orders Along Parts Of North Carolina's Outer Banks
They ordered an evacuation of Hatteras Island starting Monday. Several days of heavy surf and high winds and waves could wash out parts of North Carolina Highway 12, which connects the popular vacation spot to the mainland, the National Weather Service said.
The center of the storm is forecast to stay at least 200 miles from the Outer Banks but will also bring rip tides all along the East Coast, officials said.
(MORE: Here's The Latest On Hurricane Erin)
Bermuda could have similar conditions as Erin is forecast to turn to the north and then northeast, forecasters said.
Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, reached an exceedingly dangerous Category 5 status Saturday with maximum winds of 160 mph before weakening. The storm's maximum sustained winds were 125 mph Sunday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The winds decreased as the storm went through internal changes. Erin is expected to remain powerful for the next several days and is expected to strengthen somewhat over the next 48 hours as it grows, forecasters said Sunday afternoon.
'You're dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It's a dangerous hurricane in any event,' said Richard Pasch of the National Hurricane Center.
(MORE: Track Hurricane Erin With These Maps)
The rain and winds from the outer bands of the storm left about 147,000 customers without power Sunday morning in Puerto Rico, according to Luma Energy, a private company that oversees the transmission and distribution of power on the island. The weather canceled more than 20 flights, officials said.
Swells were also expected to affect portions of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands during the next couple of days, forecasters said.
The Coast Guard allowed all ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to reopen on Sunday as winds and rains in the area decreased.
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NBC News
16 minutes ago
- NBC News
Climate change is increasing the risk of rapidly intensifying storms. Hurricane Erin is the latest example.
Hurricane Erin strengthened back into a Category 4 behemoth over the weekend, the latest shift in what has been a remarkably fast-changing storm. The hurricane's behavior in recent days makes it one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes on record, and yet another indication that climate change is increasing the risk of rapidly intensifying storms. Erin became the first hurricane of this year's Atlantic season on Friday and exploded in strength from a Category 1 into a Category 5 storm in a little over 24 hours. Even after it weakened and re-strengthened into a Category 4 storm, Erin's jaw-dropping transformation ranks it among the five fastest storms to grow from Category 1 to Category 5. The hurricane is expected to grow larger and strengthen even more on Monday as it passes east of the Bahamas, according to the National Hurricane Center's latest advisory. Heavy rainfall is forecasted for parts of Hispaniola on Monday, and for Turks and Caicos and parts of the southeast and Central Bahamas through Tuesday. But it's the storm's 'rapid intensification' that has experts taking note. Rapid intensification describes an increase in sustained wind speeds of at least 35 mph over a 24-hour period, according to the National Hurricane Center. Erin's maximum sustained wind speed increased around 75 mph in 24 hours, from Friday morning into Saturday. Climate change is increasing the risk of rapidly intensifying storms, primarily due to warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures and high levels of moisture in the atmosphere — key ingredients needed for storms to gather strength. Erin's journey near the Bahamas on Monday will take it over warm waters hovering in the mid-80 degree Fahrenheit range, which could help it intensify further. A warmer atmosphere as a result of global warming also holds more moisture, which enables storms to gather strength and dump more rainfall over land. A 2023 study published in the journal Scientific Reports found that tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean were around 29% more likely to undergo rapid intensification from 2001 to 2020, compared to 1971 to 1990. Indeed, rapid intensification has been well documented in recent years. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian's peak winds increased from 150 mph to 185 mph in nine hours. Hurricane Ian in 2022 underwent two rounds of rapid intensification before it made landfall in Florida. Last year, Hurricane Milton's maximum sustained wind speed increased by an astonishing 90 mph in roughly 25 hours. Other recent examples of rapid intensification include Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Hurricane Laura in 2020, Hurricane Ida in 2021 and Hurricane Idalia in 2023. Still, the process of rapid intensification remains difficult to forecast. Scientists know that warm sea surface temperatures, moist air and favorable atmospheric conditions are necessary pieces of the puzzle, but understanding how it will happen for specific storms — and when — will require more research. In the coming days, the National Hurricane Center said Erin will move between Bermuda and the east coast of the United States. Though the storm is not expected to make a direct hit with land, the hurricane will generate swells, life-threatening surf and rip currents for the Bahamas, Bermuda, the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and Atlantic Canada.
New York Times
16 minutes ago
- New York Times
The Unseen Dangers of Floodwaters
Climate change is intensifying both hurricanes and everyday storms, making flooding events both more common and more severe. When heavy rain falls, it can overwhelm streams and streets with little to no warning, both along the coast and inland. All it takes is six inches of fast-moving water to knock over an adult, according to the National Weather Service, and most cars can be swept away in as little as a foot of water. Beyond the risk of drowning, floodwaters are often full of sewage, medical waste, industrial chemicals and more. And even after the storm is over, many hazards can remain. What's in the water? Floodwaters are 'a toxic brew of pesticides, toxins, petroleum, anything and everything that you can imagine,' said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Hundreds of types of bacteria and viruses can contaminate the waters, he added, making them dangerous to play in or simply walk through. This is especially true in the first 24 hours of a storm, when heavy rains wash out waste and trigger the 'first rush of pathogens,' said Natalie Exum, an environmental health scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Potential consequences include gastrointestinal illnesses such as E. coli, respiratory illnesses like Legionnaires' disease and skin infections including necrotizing fasciitis, known as flesh-eating disease. Experts strongly advise avoiding floodwaters if you can. Keeping your mouth closed might not be enough to protect you, as you can also get sick if water gets into your eyes or ears. And any open wound, even an insect bite or a nick from shaving, can let bacteria into the bloodstream. Wading through floodwaters can also lead to injuries, said Dell Saulnier, an assistant professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden who studies global disasters and health. Debris can be hidden, and dirty waters can conceal power lines, too, making electrocution another serious concern. Preparation is key, including heeding evacuation orders and having at least five days of supplies in your home so you can avoid venturing out. What protection works? If you have no choice but to go through a flood, wear pants, long sleeves and waterproof boots, Dr. Exum said. Goggles and gloves can also help. Cover any open wounds, even minor ones, with waterproof bandages. If a wound gets wet, quickly disinfect it with soap and clean water. If that's not possible, use hand sanitizer and wet wipes so that pathogens don't fester. Afterward, clean any clothes contaminated with floodwaters on the hottest water setting and with a disinfectant like bleach, said Dr. Peggy Duggan, the chief medical officer of Tampa General Hospital. 'I wouldn't say you have to throw them away, although I personally would,' she added. What happens after the water recedes? Even after floodwaters drain away, trees, homes and debris will remain drenched, said Dr. Mark Morocco, a professor of emergency medicine who practices at Ronald Reagan U.C.L.A. Medical Center. 'Imagine that somebody had sprayed your entire neighborhood with raw sewage,' he said. Mold can grow quickly under carpets, in cabinets and on drywall and fabric furniture. The spores can be drawn deep inside the lungs, posing a particular threat to older adults, immunocompromised people and those with respiratory conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Dr. Jamie Garfield, a pulmonologist at the Temple Lung Center and a spokesperson for the American Lung Association, advises patients with these conditions to watch out for worsening symptoms, and to hire cleaning professionals if possible — or ask friends for help. 'If you spend an hour cleaning off an area of your home and you start to notice some chest tightness or coughing, that's an indication to lay off,' Dr. Garfield said. Pathogens and chemicals can also seep into drinking water. So, stick to bottled water or boiled tap water when you drink; brush your teeth; or wash your hands, dishes and produce. After local officials give the all-clear, it's a good idea to let the water run for a while to flush the pipes of any residual gunk, Dr. Exum added. While mosquitoes often get whisked away by the initial flooding, they tend to return after a week or two, said Dr. Stephen Liang, an infectious diseases physician at WashU Medicine in St. Louis. Pockets of standing water can quickly become breeding grounds for them, so try to clear puddles, empty buckets and unclog drains. And when outside, protect yourself with long sleeves and insect repellent.
Time Magazine
an hour ago
- Time Magazine
How Hurricane Erin Will Impact the U.S.
Hurricane Erin is ripping through the Atlantic Ocean, passing just east of the Turks and Caicos and southeast Bahamas on Aug. 18 and 19, bringing coastal flooding to the islands. While the category 4 storm is not expected to make landfall on the U.S. east coast, it will have an impact nonetheless. Dangerous high surf and rip currents are expected from Florida to New England throughout the week. 'It looks like it's going to stay offshore through its entire lifetime, but because it's so large in size, it is going to be bringing impacts,' says Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather's lead hurricane expert. The hurricane saw an 'exceptionally rare' rapid intensification—growing from a tropical storm to a category 5 hurricane in 24 hours on Saturday. (The storm has since been downgraded to a category 4.) Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of hurricanes—and the number of extreme rapid intensification events have increased significantly in the past three decades. As of Monday morning, evacuation orders are in place for the Outer Banks region of North Carolina, where DaSilva says they might see waves of up to 15 feet. 'That's just waves coming into the coast,' he says. 'There's going to be major beach erosion and major coastal flooding issues on the Outer Banks in the middle of the week.' And though other regions might not face evacuations, the storm will create unsafe conditions at beaches across the East Coast as many beachgoers might be looking to squeeze in one last trip before school starts. 'Anybody on the East Coast from Miami all the way up to Maine needs to be aware that this week, the rip current risk is going to be extremely high and very dangerous,' says DaSilva. 'So even if you're in Long Island or Massachusetts or Maine—far away from the storm—when you're at the beaches it's going to be very dangerous.' Keep an eye out for no swimming signs at the beach, and make sure to listen to any lifeguard instructions. Rip currents are expected to last into next week—at least until Saturday. 'It's going to be a very dangerous week for beach weather,' says DaSilva. 'We don't want people to venture out there thinking it doesn't look that bad and get hurt because rip currents are nothing to mess with.'
