Hurricane Erin Recurves Out to Sea

Hurricane Erin strengthens and is forecast to recur northeastward after a close approach to the U.S. East Coast, while two tropical waves are watched for possible development.

Hurricane Erin Recurves Out to Sea

Tropical storm warnings are in effect for portions of the North Carolina and Virginia coasts as Hurricane Erin moves northward for a close pass near the Outer Banks on Thursday. At 2 p.m. EDT, Erin was about 335 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, moving north at 13 mph with top winds near 110 mph and a central pressure of 943 mb. Forecasters say Erin’s size means large swells and dangerous rip currents along much of the East Coast, with a potential storm surge of two to four feet near high tides along parts of the North Carolina coast and Chesapeake Bay. The forecast track keeps Erin away from a direct landfall but still brings coastal erosion, road closures, and flood risk to vulnerable shorelines.

The strength of Erin lies as much in its size as its wind. A sprawling storm can push dangerous surf far from the center, testing beaches and coastal infrastructure even as the eye stays offshore. That makes forewarned residents and visitors along the Outer Banks and nearby shores crucially aware of changing tides, waves, and currents. Forecasts stress that Erin is likely to weaken after Thursday as wind shear increases and cooler, drier air moves in, then transition to an extratropical cyclone by the weekend.

Highlights

Updates will refine Erin’s exact path and the level of coastal risk as forecasts evolve.