Despite remaining well offshore, Hurricane Erin is significantly impacting coastal communities along the U.S. eastern seaboard. The storm is currently bringing heavy rain, storm surge, and perilous rip currents to areas in North Carolina, with expectations of similar effects for parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast in the approaching hours. The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, released at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, indicates that the center of the Category 2 storm is located approximately 260 miles east of Cape Hatteras and is packing sustained winds nearing 100 miles per hour, with even stronger gusts.
A storm surge warning remains in effect from Cape Lookout to Duck, N.C., highlighting the life-threatening risk of coastal flooding due to rising waters. Additionally, a tropical storm warning has been issued from Beaufort Inlet, N.C., to Chincoteague, Va. For those in Bermuda, a tropical storm watch signals that tropical storm conditions could impact the island soon. Forecasters predict wind gusts reaching tropical storm force along the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coasts through early Friday.
As the storm’s western edge impacted the Outer Banks, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein issued a clear warning on Wednesday. He urged residents and visitors to avoid ocean activities due to the high waves and dangerous rip currents. The Outer Banks, a vulnerable chain of barrier islands extending into the Atlantic, is no stranger to hurricane impacts. Reports indicate that massive waves have battered beachfront homes constructed on stilts, and the ferry route between Ocracoke Island and the mainland has been severed.
Earlier, over 2,000 individuals, including residents and vacationers, evacuated from Ocracoke and Hatteras islands in response to evacuation orders. Unfortunately, the storm surge has breached protective sand dunes overnight, rendering Highway 12—the only major road out—impassable. According to a social media update from Dare County's government on Thursday, deep sand, water, and debris now cover the roadway. The National Weather Service has warned of a continuing storm surge reaching heights of up to 4 feet in the Outer Banks for Thursday night.
Melinda Meadows, a property manager at the Cape Hatteras Motel in Buxton, recounted to WRAL how walls were torn apart and sand barriers have vanished. This incident follows closely on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which struck North Carolina less than a year ago, resulting in one of the state's most devastating hurricane impacts, claiming at least 250 lives. In contrast, the NHC reports that Hurricane Erin is now shifting northeast and increasing its forward speed, moving over the western Atlantic between the U.S. and Bermuda through Friday.
Forecasters anticipate that Hurricane Erin will gradually weaken over the next couple of days, with expectations that it will fall below tropical storm strength by Saturday. As communities prepare for the storm's effects, local authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, ensuring the safety of residents and visitors.
