Latest news with #DareCountyEmergencyManagement
CNN
12 hours ago
- Climate
- CNN
Hurricane Erin is about to unleash the sea on the East Coast
Update: Date: 11 min ago Title: Dozens of people have been rescued from rip currents in North Carolina Content: Hurricane Erin has been stirring up dangerous rip currents along much of the US East Coast. More than a dozen people were rescued from rip currents at North Carolina's Wrightsville Beach on Tuesday, following about 60 rescues at the beach Monday, according to Sam Proffitt, the town's ocean rescue director. 'Some of these rips are pulling six to eight people out at a time,' he told CNN, describing the conditions as 'very strong' and 'dangerous.' Proffitt noted the volume of water moving and funneling out is so intense, it 'really doesn't matter how good of a swimmer you are.' The beach issued a no-swim advisory through Friday, but Proffitt said most of those rescued have been beachgoers going for a swim on what is seemingly just another hot, sunny day. Just north of Wrightsville, 15 people were rescued in Surf City on Monday, officials there said. Popular beaches in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey, as well as public beaches in New York City, have also enacted no swimming mandates until Hurricane Erin's threat passes. Update: Date: 24 min ago Title: Here's when Erin's winds could hit the coast Content: Erin's winds will brush parts of the US East Coast starting later today as the hurricane tracks north, parallel to land. Coastal North Carolina will be the first to feel Erin's outermost winds, likely starting around sunset. Tropical storm-force gusts of 40 to 60 mph are possible. The Outer Banks are most likely to experience gusts in the higher end of that range, with areas on the mainland seeing the lower end. The strongest winds will occur late Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Update: Date: 37 min ago Title: Who's under an evacuation order? Content: Officials in North Carolina's Outer Banks region have been urging residents to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Erin. Dare and Hyde counties, which encompass most of the Outer Banks, issued local states of emergency with mandatory evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands earlier this week. Hurricane Erin, a 100 mph Category 2 hurricane, is churning closer to the barrier islands and could intensify slightly today as it makes its way up the US East Coast. Since Erin isn't expected to make landfall, officials worry some may not heed the warnings. 'I know many who live on the island feel they can ride out a storm, but Hurricane Erin is different,' Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson said in a Tuesday news release. 'Extended flooding and the threat to Highway 12 will severely limit our ability to respond — and even a slight shift in Erin's track toward our coast could bring much more dangerous conditions. Please, do not take the risk. Evacuate now, while it is still safe to do so.' Erin's winds could push up to 4 feet of storm surge onto the Outer Banks late Wednesday into Thursday. Update: Date: 45 min ago Title: Erin is a large, powerful hurricane. Here's where it is Content: As of 8 a.m. ET, Erin is a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 mph. It's tracking to the north-northwest while located about 400 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Erin will largely parallel the US East Coast without making landfall as it moves farther north. It's still bringing considerable risks to the coast, especially North Carolina, because of its large size. The hurricane's greatest threats will impact North Carolina, especially the Outer Banks barrier islands, late today into tomorrow. Up to 4 feet of storm surge is possible in the Outer Banks as Erin's expansive winds push water on land. Erin is also churning up dangerous seas: Waves of 20 feet or higher could crash into parts of the Outer Banks tonight, with 30-foot waves just offshore. Wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph are likely right along the coast. Conditions along other East Coast beaches will continue to deteriorate today with a high risk of rip currents in place for much of the coastline.
CNN
3 days ago
- Climate
- CNN
Hurricane Erin to churn up life-threatening surf and rip currents along US East Coast and Bermuda
Hurricanes StormsFacebookTweetLink Follow After exploding in strength at a historic rate this weekend, Hurricane Erin is now a sprawling Category 4 storm churning in the Atlantic. The storm's enormous footprint is becoming the biggest concern as it threatens to drive life-threatening rip currents and towering waves toward the eastern US coastline and Bermuda. The storm is forecast to stay well offshore, but its expansive wind field is already sending large swells outward for hundreds of miles, bringing dangerous rip currents to US shores as the storm prepares to move north. Erin's outer rain bands have lashed Puerto Rico, triggering flash flooding and power outages, and started impacting the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands early Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Large swells from the hurricane will reach much of the East Coast and Bermuda starting Tuesday, with conditions expected to worsen through midweek. 'Even though Erin is expected to remain far offshore, the threat to life from rip currents and high surf along our beaches is very real,' the National Weather Service office in Morehead City, North Carolina, warned in a beach hazards statement. Erin is forecast to curve north-northeast between the US East Coast and Bermuda over the coming days, remaining offshore but strengthening again and growing even larger in size. That means its influence will be felt not through direct landfall, but through water: large, pounding surf, dangerous currents and coastal flooding during high tides. On Sunday, Dare County in North Carolina — where the Outer Banks are located — issued a local state of emergency, which includes a mandatory evacuation order for Hatteras Island. 'Coastal flooding and ocean overwash are expected to begin as early as Tuesday, August 19, 2025 and continue through Thursday, August 21, 2025. Portions of N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island will likely be impassable for several days,' according to a news release. Bermuda also lies in Erin's path of influence, with forecasters expecting the island to see very rough seas and possibly tropical storm–force winds later this week. Elsewhere along the US East Coast, from South Carolina to the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey shore, the rip current risk will climb sharply Tuesday through Thursday – even under sunny skies. So far this year, 44 people have died from rip currents and other surf-zone hazards in the US, according to the National Weather Service. Over the past decade, rip currents have proven to be one of the top weather killers in the US, behind only heat and flooding. The weather service says rip currents usually take more lives each year than lightning, hurricanes and tornadoes put together. With peak summer crowds still flocking to the coast, officials are urging beachgoers to stay out of the water when rip current alerts are in effect. '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.' The outer bands of Erin continue to produce heavy rainfall across Puerto Rico, with additional rainfall of up to 2 inches expected across the island through Monday night, according to the National Hurricane Center. A flood watch remains in effect for the island through Monday evening, according to the National Weather Service, as the powerful storm left 100,000 people without power, Gov. Jennifer González-Colón said Sunday. Additional rainfall of up to 6 inches is forecast over the Turks and Caicos and the eastern Bahamas through Tuesday. Flash flooding, landslides and mudslides are possible, it added. There are tropical storm warnings in effect in Turks and Caicos Islands and southeast Bahamas. Erin's impact began over the weekend, when it logged one of the fastest intensification bursts on record in the Atlantic. In just over a day, the storm jumped from tropical-storm strength to Category 5, peaking near 165 mph on Saturday as it feasted on exceptionally warm water and favorable atmospheric conditions. It then eased to Category 3 while undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle – a structural reset where a new, larger eyewall forms and steals energy from the old one. Winds dip during the swap, but the storm usually grows in size. Now that the eyewall replacement is complete, Erin has re-intensified to Category 4, with a broader wind field that widens the zone of dangerous surf and rip currents. The hurricane's rapid intensification over the weekend was a stark reminder of how quickly storms can strengthen in a warming climate. It's also unusual to see a Category 5 storm form so early in the season, particularly outside of the Gulf of Mexico. Erin is the Atlantic's first hurricane of the season. Four other systems roamed the Atlantic basin before Erin — Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dexter — but none were stronger than a tropical storm. The hurricane center has already identified a tropical wave behind Erin that has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next seven days. It's too early to say whether this system will materialize or where it may go, but forecasters are watching it closely. Despite Erin churning up cooler waters beneath the surface, there's still plenty of warm water for storms to tap into as sea surface temperatures remain well above average. They aren't quite as warm as the record levels reached in 2023 and 2024, but are still far warmer than they'd be in a world that wasn't heating up. August is when the tropics usually come alive: The busiest stretch of the season typically spans from mid-August to mid-October. Forecasters expect above-average tropical activity this year.
CNN
3 days ago
- Climate
- CNN
Hurricane Erin to churn up life-threatening surf and rip currents along US East Coast and Bermuda
Hurricanes StormsFacebookTweetLink Follow After exploding in strength at a historic rate this weekend, Hurricane Erin is now a sprawling Category 4 storm churning in the Atlantic. The storm's enormous footprint is becoming the biggest concern as it threatens to drive life-threatening rip currents and towering waves toward the eastern US coastline and Bermuda. The storm is forecast to stay well offshore, but its expansive wind field is already sending large swells outward for hundreds of miles, bringing dangerous rip currents to US shores as the storm prepares to move north. Erin's outer rain bands have lashed Puerto Rico, triggering flash flooding and power outages, and started impacting the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands early Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Large swells from the hurricane will reach much of the East Coast and Bermuda starting Tuesday, with conditions expected to worsen through midweek. 'Even though Erin is expected to remain far offshore, the threat to life from rip currents and high surf along our beaches is very real,' the National Weather Service office in Morehead City, North Carolina, warned in a beach hazards statement. Erin is forecast to curve north-northeast between the US East Coast and Bermuda over the coming days, remaining offshore but strengthening again and growing even larger in size. That means its influence will be felt not through direct landfall, but through water: large, pounding surf, dangerous currents and coastal flooding during high tides. On Sunday, Dare County in North Carolina — where the Outer Banks are located — issued a local state of emergency, which includes a mandatory evacuation order for Hatteras Island. 'Coastal flooding and ocean overwash are expected to begin as early as Tuesday, August 19, 2025 and continue through Thursday, August 21, 2025. Portions of N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island will likely be impassable for several days,' according to a news release. Bermuda also lies in Erin's path of influence, with forecasters expecting the island to see very rough seas and possibly tropical storm–force winds later this week. Elsewhere along the US East Coast, from South Carolina to the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey shore, the rip current risk will climb sharply Tuesday through Thursday – even under sunny skies. So far this year, 44 people have died from rip currents and other surf-zone hazards in the US, according to the National Weather Service. Over the past decade, rip currents have proven to be one of the top weather killers in the US, behind only heat and flooding. The weather service says rip currents usually take more lives each year than lightning, hurricanes and tornadoes put together. With peak summer crowds still flocking to the coast, officials are urging beachgoers to stay out of the water when rip current alerts are in effect. '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.' The outer bands of Erin continue to produce heavy rainfall across Puerto Rico, with additional rainfall of up to 2 inches expected across the island through Monday night, according to the National Hurricane Center. A flood watch remains in effect for the island through Monday evening, according to the National Weather Service, as the powerful storm left 100,000 people without power, Gov. Jennifer González-Colón said Sunday. Additional rainfall of up to 6 inches is forecast over the Turks and Caicos and the eastern Bahamas through Tuesday. Flash flooding, landslides and mudslides are possible, it added. There are tropical storm warnings in effect in Turks and Caicos Islands and southeast Bahamas. Erin's impact began over the weekend, when it logged one of the fastest intensification bursts on record in the Atlantic. In just over a day, the storm jumped from tropical-storm strength to Category 5, peaking near 165 mph on Saturday as it feasted on exceptionally warm water and favorable atmospheric conditions. It then eased to Category 3 while undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle – a structural reset where a new, larger eyewall forms and steals energy from the old one. Winds dip during the swap, but the storm usually grows in size. Now that the eyewall replacement is complete, Erin has re-intensified to Category 4, with a broader wind field that widens the zone of dangerous surf and rip currents. The hurricane's rapid intensification over the weekend was a stark reminder of how quickly storms can strengthen in a warming climate. It's also unusual to see a Category 5 storm form so early in the season, particularly outside of the Gulf of Mexico. Erin is the Atlantic's first hurricane of the season. Four other systems roamed the Atlantic basin before Erin — Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dexter — but none were stronger than a tropical storm. The hurricane center has already identified a tropical wave behind Erin that has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next seven days. It's too early to say whether this system will materialize or where it may go, but forecasters are watching it closely. Despite Erin churning up cooler waters beneath the surface, there's still plenty of warm water for storms to tap into as sea surface temperatures remain well above average. They aren't quite as warm as the record levels reached in 2023 and 2024, but are still far warmer than they'd be in a world that wasn't heating up. August is when the tropics usually come alive: The busiest stretch of the season typically spans from mid-August to mid-October. Forecasters expect above-average tropical activity this year.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cape Hatteras National Seashore urges visitors to sign up for text alerts as summer approaches
MANTEO, N.C. (WAVY) – The Cape Hatteras National Seashore is urging visitors to sign up for Dare County Emergency Management's rip current forecast text alerts and swim at any of theSeashore's five lifeguarded beaches. The waves can often be strong and unpredictable, which can be dangerous for unsuspecting visitors enjoying the water. DC woman dies in 'water-related incident' on Outer Banks Those interested in signing up for the alerts can text OBXBeachConditions to 77295. The alerts cover both Dare and Hyde counties. The seashore also mentioned five beach locations with lifeguards staffed from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 9a.m. to 5 p.m. Those locations are: Coquina Beach Access (Bodie Island) Located across from the Bodie Island Lighthouse site Rodanthe Beach Access (Hatteras Island) The Rodanthe Beach Access, provided by Dare County, is located at 23732 N.C. Highway 12, Rodanthe Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach Access (Hatteras Island) Adjacent to the Old Cape Hatteras Lighthouse site Frisco Beach Access (Hatteras Island) Located just south of Frisco Village Ocracoke Beach Access (Ocracoke Island) 1 ½ miles south of the Seashore campground or ½ mile north of Ocracoke Village To learn more ocean and beach safety tips visit the link here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
