Hurricane Erin unleashes monster waves, shutting down beaches from Florida to New York
Hurricane Erin isn't forecast to make landfall along the U.S. East Coast.
Advertisement
However, dangerous impacts are expected nonetheless due to outer rain bands possibly lashing North Carolina's Outer Banks, where Tropical Storm Warnings and Storm Surge Warnings remain in effect.
The Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect from Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, to the North Carolina-Virginia border. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect north of the North Carolina-Virginia border to Chincoteague, Virginia.
Officials in Dare and Hyde counties declared local states of emergency and issued mandatory evacuation orders for tourists and residents in popular areas like Ocracoke Island and Hatteras Island.
On Tuesday afternoon, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency to assist with the response to Hurricane Erin and to mobilize resources.
Advertisement
4 Hurricane Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic waters hundreds of miles off the U.S., prompting officials to close beaches along the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast.
Gregory P. Mango
'To folks on the coast, now is the time to prepare,' he said in a post on X. 'Check your emergency kits, make sure you have emergency alerts turned on, and listen to emergency guidance in case you need to evacuate.'
North Carolina Emergency Management officials opened a State Operated Shelter (SOS) in conjunction with Warren County Emergency Management for those who needed to evacuate due to Hurricane Erin.
Due to the threats of a storm surge and large waves of up to 12 feet in some spots, local officials and forecasters have been warning people to stay out of the water for safety.
Advertisement
4 Hurricane Erin (seen above) isn't forecast to make landfall along the U.S. East Coast, according to reports.
AP
A spokesperson for Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, told FOX Weather their rescue crews conducted nearly 60 water rescues on Monday and another 20 on Tuesday due to strong rip currents. The town has now told all beachgoers to stay out of the water through Friday as Erin gets even closer.
'These swells are producing powerful rip currents that can create extremely hazardous swimming conditions,' said Sam Proffitt, director of Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue. 'The safety of our beachgoers is always our top priority, and we urge everyone to follow this advisory.'
Where is Hurricane Erin?
Advertisement
As of the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Erin has maximum sustained winds of 100 mph with some higher gusts, and some slow strengthening is expected through Thursday night.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from Erin's center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 265 miles.
4 Hurricane Erin has maximum sustained winds of 100 mph with some higher gusts, and some slow strengthening is expected through Thursday night, according to reports.
FOX Weather
4 A sign warning against beach access is posted in Dare County, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, ahead of expected impacts from Hurricane Erin.
AP
Hurricane Erin is currently located about 400 miles to the south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and is moving off to the north-northwest at 13 mph.
The NHC said Erin is expected to begin a turn to the north on Wednesday, followed by a northeastward motion on Thursday.
On that forecast track, the center of Hurricane Erin will move over the western Atlantic between the East Coast and Bermuda through early Friday, and then pass south of Atlantic Canada on Friday and Saturday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erin moves away from North Carolina after battering outer banks
Hurricane Erin, a large category 2 storm with winds reaching 105mph, is slowly moving away from the North Carolina coast Thursday morning after hitting the state's Outer Banks with intense winds, large waves, storm surge and flooding. While Erin is not expected to make landfall, weather officials warn that the storm's effects are not over yet. Coastal communities up and down the East Coast are bracing as storm conditions continue as life-threatening rip currents, flooding and dangerous surf, are forecast in some areas through Friday. On Wednesday, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein declared a state of emergency, deploying emergency resources and personnel to assist coastal communities. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued both for Ocracoke and Hatteras islands, with more than 2,000 people evacuated. By Wednesday evening, Highway 12 on Hatteras Island was closed due to worsening weather conditions. Photos show sections of the highway completely submerged in water. As of Thursday morning, the road remained closed. Other videos shared earlier this week showed powerful waves slamming into homes along the Outer Banks. The National Weather Service warned early on Thursday that parts of coastal North Carolina could continue to face flooding, storm surge and high surf throughout the day on Thursday and into Friday. Tropical storm conditions are also expected along parts of the Virginia coastline on Thursday. On Thursday morning, the NWS showed a video from Virginia Beach showing powerful waves. A storm surge warning remains in effect for parts of North Carolina, where water levels could rise two to four feet above ground level in some areas. 'Numerous roads will likely be impassable under several feet of water and vehicles will likely be submerged' the agency said on Thursday morning. 'Consider moving cars to higher ground.' The NWS office in Newport and Morehead City, North Carolina said on Thursday morning that the 'impacts will peak today' with the worst conditions expected along the Outer Banks during Thursday's high tide cycles. 'Significant impacts could linger into Friday due to lingering powerful swell energy and elevated tides/water levels,' the agency warned. Tropical storm conditions are expected in parts of Bermuda on Thursday and tropical storm-force wind gusts are possible across parts of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coasts through early Friday, per weather officials. Hazardous beach conditions are also forecast up and down the entire East Coast over the next several days, with forecasters warning of life-threatening rip currents and strong surf. Authorities from several states along the East Coast have urged residents to stay out of the water, and in some states and cities, including New York City, the beaches have been closed to swimming. Coastal flood alerts remain in place on Thursday morning for low-lying coastal areas across the East Coast, including sections of Delaware and New Jersey.
New York Post
42 minutes ago
- New York Post
Hurricane Erin batters NC Outer Banks, floods part of its main highway
RODANTHE, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina's Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes as the monster storm slowly began to move away from the East Coast on Thursday. Forecasters predicted the storm would peak Thursday and said it could regain strength and once again become a major hurricane, Category 3 or greater, but it was not forecast to make landfall along the East Coast before turning farther out to sea. Tropical storm conditions were in effect over parts of the Outer Banks and the coast of Virginia, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. In Bermuda, residents and tourists were told to stay out of the water with rough seas expected through Friday. Advertisement 5 Hurricane Erin hit North Carolina's Outer Banks with flooding and strong winds. AP There was flooding along part of the North Carolina and mid-Atlantic coasts, the center said Thursday morning. Authorities predicted that the largest swells during high tide would cut off villages and homes on the Outer Banks and whip up life-threatening rip currents from Florida to New England. Big waves push water over roads As Erin's outer bands brushed the Outer Banks, water poured onto the main route connecting the barrier islands and a handful of stilted homes precariously perched above the beach. By Wednesday evening, officials had closed Highway 12 on Hatteras Island as the surge increased and waves rose. The road remained closed Thursday. Ocracoke Island's connection to its ferry terminal was cut off. Advertisement Melinda Meadows, property manager at the Cape Hatteras Motel in Buxton who decided to ride out the storm, said a door was ripped off a townhouse, some walls have been knocked out, and some heat pumps were washed out. 'It's the force behind the water,' she told WRAL-TV. Farther north, on Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, dozens of people were out taking photos of the huge waves crashing into the structure and even bird-watching amid the driving rain Thursday morning. 5 Hurricane Erin was not forecast to make landfall along the East Coast. REUTERS Advertisement 'This is nature at her best,' said David Alan Harvey of Nags Head. 'I love this. I love these storms.' Harvey was unconcerned about being on a pier jutting into the ocean, saying he considered it safer than most other places. 'Driving my car is a lot more dangerous than this.' A few feet away, 23-year-old Daniel Irons, who lives in Hatteras, was bird-watching and waiting to see what new ones might be brought in by winds from the storm. Another man, Sebastian Kettner, was fishing. Beaches off-limits along the coast Beaches were closed to swimming Wednesday and Thursday in New York City, and some others in New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware were temporarily off-limits. Widespread, moderate coastal flooding was forecast for low-lying areas of Long Island and parts of New York City. Advertisement Off Massachusetts, Nantucket Island could see waves of more than 10 feet (3 meters) this week. But the biggest threat remained along the Outer Banks where longtime residents didn't seem too concerned. 5 People walk on an empty boardwalk as large waves from Hurricane Erin keep swimmers away on Thursday in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Getty Images 'I remember taking canoes out of my front yard to get to school, so I don't think it's gonna be that bad,' said Jacob Throne, who lives on Hatteras Island and works for surf shops. Despite beach closures elsewhere, some swimmers continued to ignore the warnings. Rescuers saved more than a dozen people caught in rip currents Tuesday at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina, a day after more than 80 people were rescued. Bob Oravec, a National Weather Service forecaster, said that even if someone thinks they know how to handle a rip current, it's not safe. 'You can be aware all you want,' he said. 'It can still be dangerous.' 5 Rescuers saved more than a dozen people caught in rip currents Tuesday at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina, despite beach closures. REUTERS Huge waves forecast to cause coastal flooding A combination of fierce winds and huge waves estimated at about 20 feet (6.1 meters) could cause coastal flooding in many beachfront communities, North Carolina officials warned. Waves were estimated as high as 18 feet (5.5 meters) Thursday morning, according to local weather reports. Advertisement Dozens of beach homes already worn down from chronic erosion and protective dunes could be at risk, said David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Most residents decided to stay despite evacuations ordered on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. 5 The sunset before Hurricane Erin's near approach, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on Wednesday. REUTERS 'We probably wouldn't stay if it was coming directly at us,' said Rob Temple, who operates sailboat cruises on Ocracoke. Advertisement His biggest concern was whether the main route would wash out and if tourists and delivery trucks may be cut off from the thin stretch of low-lying islands, which are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges. The Hatteras Island Rescue Squad, a volunteer group based in Buxton, said it received no calls for rescues Wednesday night through Thursday morning. Erin remains a large hurricane as it heads out to sea Erin has become an unusually large and deceptively worrisome system, with tropical storm-force winds spreading across 500 miles (800 kilometers) — roughly the distances from New York City to Pittsburgh. Advertisement It remained a Category 2 hurricane Thursday morning with maximum sustained winds around 105 mph (165 kph), the hurricane center said. Erin was about 210 miles (338 kilometers) east of Cape Hatteras and moving north-northeast at 17 mph (28 kph). The hurricane center was also watching two tropical disturbances far out in the Atlantic that could develop into named storms in the coming days. With thousands of miles of warm ocean water, hurricanes known as Cape Verde storms are some of the most dangerous that threaten North America. Climate scientists say Atlantic hurricanes are now much more likely to rapidly intensify into powerful and catastrophic storms, fueled by warmer oceans.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erin pounds US east coast as residents brace for ‘life-threatening' waves
Hurricane Erin pounds US east coast as residents brace for 'life-threatening' waves Hurricane Erin's arrival is being felt all along the east coast, where higher tides and powerful surf have triggered expanded warnings for flooding and tropical storm conditions. Coastal residents are bracing for the possibility of a dangerous storm surge reaching up to 4ft (1.2 metres), along with severe beach erosion. The hurricane is expected to generate 'life-threatening' waves ranging from 15 to 20ft, with North Carolina beaches anticipating the most brutal waves. The pounding of shorelines will last for two days or longer as Erin slowly moves north offshore through at least Thursday. Authorities have urged people to stay out of the ocean throughout the east coast. On Tuesday, the storm system's strength dipped to about 100mph (160km/h) as winds cut across its north side. But the National Hurricane Center reported early on Wednesday that the storm rebuilt an inner eye wall. 'Swells generated by Erin will affect the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada during the next several days,' said the National Hurricane Center. 'These rough ocean conditions are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents.' Officials in New York City said swimming would be prohibited at city beaches on Wednesday and Thursday because of the treacherous currents from Erin. The National Weather Service put Suffolk and Nassau county beaches on a coastal flood watch. In New Jersey and Delaware, beach closures began on Tuesday and are expected to extend until Friday or later in the week. While forecasts show the hurricane eventually steering away from land, the National Weather Service cautioned that beaches from Florida to New York face a high risk of rip currents through Wednesday evening. Along the Outer Banks, conditions began to deteriorate on Tuesday despite Erin still being more than 500 miles (805km) offshore. Parts were under mandatory evacuation orders and a declared state of emergency. In Buxton, incoming afternoon tides pushed waves under beachfront homes on stilts and swept water across sections of Highway 12, the islands' main roadway. The northern areas around Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, home to the region's densest development, are outside the evacuation zone. But to the south, across Oregon Inlet, lies Hatteras Island, which relies solely on Highway 12 for access. Beyond that is Ocracoke Island, which can only be reached by plane or ferry. Hurricane Erin's rapid growth ranks it among the fastest-intensifying hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic, highlighting scientists' warnings that the climate crisis, driven by greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans, is fueling more rapid storm strengthening.
