Stronger, bigger Hurricane Erin forecast to create dangerous surf along US coast
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Hurricane-force winds extended up to 60 miles (95 kilometers) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles (370 km). The area of strong winds is expected to grow more over the next few days. At that size, Erin will impact coastal areas even though it isn't forecast to make a direct landfall.
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Dare County, North Carolina, declared an emergency and ordered an evacuation beginning Monday of Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks, the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that juts far into the Atlantic. Several days of heavy surf and high winds and waves could wash out parts of N.C. Highway 12 running along the barrier islands, the National Weather Service said.
Erin, the year's first Atlantic hurricane, reached an exceedingly dangerous Category 5 status Saturday with 160 mph (260 kph) winds before weakening.
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'You're dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It's a dangerous hurricane in any event,' Richard Pasch of the National Hurricane Center said.
Erin's outer bands pelted parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rains and tropical-storm winds during the day Sunday.
That knocked out power to about 147,000 customers, according to Luma Energy, a private company that oversees the transmission and distribution of power on the island. More than 20 flights were canceled due to the weather. The Coast Guard allowed all ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to reopen Sunday as winds and rains decreased.
Rough ocean conditions were forecast for parts of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos. Life-threatening surf and rip currents were forecast into midweek for the Bahamas, Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast and Canada's Atlantic coast as Erin turns north and then northeast.
Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and is spiking ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly.
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New Tropical Disturbance Forming Behind Hurricane Erin, Federal Forecasters Say
As Hurricane Erin continues to churn across the Atlantic Ocean, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Monday that a tropical disturbance that appears to be following in the hurricane's path has a chance of developing into a stronger storm within the next week. The NHC said that the disturbance, which is described as a 'tropical wave,' is currently 'producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.'
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28 minutes ago
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North Carolina gives evacuation orders on the coast for Hurricane Erin
Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The Outer Banks in North Carolina are under evacuation warning as Hurricane Erin whips up high waves and flooding along the east coast. Forecasters expect waves of up to 20 feet Wednesday and Thursday. Dare and Hyde counties ordered tourists and residents to leave Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, which are prone to flooding, the Raleigh News & Observer reported. For those who choose to ride the storm out, Hyde County on Sunday said, "It is extremely likely that Hyde County EMS services will not be available in Ocracoke due to Highway 12 being inaccessible. Please take this warning seriously, especially if you have medical issues or are likely to need special care." Now is the peak tourist season in the area. "This is not the week to swim in the ocean," Dare County Emergency Management said in its evacuation order. "The risk from surf and flooding will be life-threatening." Erin isn't expected to fully land on the East Coast, but its proximity to the coast means dangerous waves and riptides are likely along much of Atlantic coast and in Bermuda, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday. Strong winds and heavy rainfall in those locations are expected. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for much of the North Carolina coast. The hurricane already battered the Caribbean, bringing high waves, strong winds and rain to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. More than 50,000 customers were without power. "As of 7:30 p.m., 95.1% of customers have electrical service. The majority of affected customers are concentrated in the regions of Caguas, Mayagüez, and San Juan, as the rain bands have been moving out of Puerto Rico," Luma Energy, which operates Puerto Rico's power grid, said Sunday night on X. An extra 2 inches of rainfall is expected in Puerto Rico through Monday night. Up to 6 inches of rain is forecast over the Turks and Caicos and the eastern Bahamas through Tuesday. Flash flooding, landslides and mudslides are possible, it added. Over the weekend, Erin logged one of the fastest intensification bursts on record in the Atlantic. In just over a day, the storm rose from tropical-storm strength to Category 5, peaking near 165 mph winds on Saturday. Then it eased to Category 3 while replacing its eyewall. Now, the storm is at Category 4, with a broader field. Puerto Rico Gov. Jennifer González-Colón said there were no residents in shelters and no reports of flooding so far but that flash flooding remains a concern. It's also unusual to see a Category 5 storm form so early in the season, especially outside of the Gulf of Mexico, CNN reported. Forecasters have said this year's Atlantic hurricane season will be busier than average. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its updated forecast earlier this month, calling for 13 to 18 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater), with five to 9 becoming hurricanes and two to five becoming major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or greater. A typical hurricane season brings 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes, three of them major. Climate experts have said global warming is contributing to more frequent and more intense storms. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, with the busiest part of the season from mid-August to mid-October.
USA Today
35 minutes ago
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National Hurricane Center watching next potential storm: What to expect
As Hurricane Erin approaches the East Coast, where it's expected to stir up life-threatening conditions along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the National Hurricane Center is watching yet another developing storm. An area of disturbed weather in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean may become the next tropical storm, the hurricane center said on Aug. 18. It listed the chances of the wave's further development at 50% over the next seven days. The wave is producing 'disorganized showers and thunderstorms' on Aug. 18 and could form a tropical depression by the end of the week as it moves toward the Windward Islands on the eastern side of the Caribbean, the center said. The area of potential development includes an area between the Windwards and the Dominican Republic. The developing system would move west-northwestward at about 20 mph, the center said. It's too soon to say where the storm would head once it's developed. Forecasters at AccuWeather said Erin's displacement of dry air over the Atlantic could help strengthen any storms that do develop. Next up on the list of storm names for the 2025 hurricane season that started June 1 is Fernand. Mid-August marks the beginning of the busiest part of the Atlantic hurricane season. Seasonal forecasters expect the season to be a busy one, with more storms than normal, based on their analysis of ocean conditions and weather patterns. That includes warmer-than-average ocean temperatures across the Atlantic basin. Monsoon activity over Africa also is a factor because it helps create the waves that push out westward over the Atlantic like the one the hurricane center is watching. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently updated its seasonal forecast to say it expects to see 13 to 18 named storms, with five to nine becoming hurricanes, and two to five becoming major hurricanes. Colorado State University issued a similar forecast in early August. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center shows the chances of storm development across the Atlantic's hurricane region at greater than 20% through Sept. 2. Erin is the season's fifth named storm, as well as the first hurricane and first major hurricane. Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate change, violent weather and the environment for USA TODAY. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
