Hurricane Erin unleashed its fury on North Carolina's Outer Banks, bringing strong winds and waves that inundated the main highway and threatened beachfront properties. Forecasters anticipated the storm would reach its peak on Thursday, potentially regaining strength to become a major hurricane. However, it was not expected to make landfall along the East Coast, instead turning out to sea.
Tropical storm conditions were expected across parts of the Outer Banks and the Virginia coast. In Bermuda, residents and tourists were advised to avoid the water due to rough seas. As Erin's outer bands brushed the Outer Banks, water surged onto the main road connecting the barrier islands, and officials closed Highway 12 on Hatteras Island as the surge intensified. Ocracoke Island's connection to its ferry terminal was also severed.
Authorities warned that the largest swells during high tide could isolate villages and homes on the Outer Banks, while also generating dangerous rip currents from Florida to New England. Beaches were closed to swimming in New York, and some in New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware were temporarily off-limits. Moderate coastal flooding was predicted for low-lying areas of Long Island and parts of New York.
Nantucket Island, off Massachusetts, could experience waves exceeding 10 feet later in the week. Despite the warnings, some swimmers disregarded the closures. Rescuers saved numerous people caught in rip currents at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina.
Officials warned that a combination of strong winds and large waves, estimated at around 20 feet, could cause coastal flooding in many beachfront communities. Dozens of beach homes, already vulnerable due to erosion, were at risk. Despite evacuation orders, most residents chose to stay.
Erin was described as an unusually large and potentially dangerous system, with tropical storm-force winds spanning a vast area. The storm remained a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds around 180 k/h. The National Hurricane Center was also monitoring two tropical disturbances in the Atlantic that could develop into named storms. Climate scientists suggest that Atlantic hurricanes are now more likely to rapidly intensify into powerful storms due to warmer oceans.
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