Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina’s fragile Outer Banks on Thursday, unleashing fierce winds and crashing waves that flooded a major highway and surged beneath beachfront homes. While the storm is moving away from the East Coast, forecasters warn it could intensify again into a Category 3 or higher as it churns over the Atlantic. Beaches from the Carolinas to New York have been forced to close, and officials are urging residents and tourists to remain cautious.
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Highway Shut by Floods
As Erin’s outer bands swept across the Outer Banks, seawater poured over Highway 12, the main artery connecting the barrier islands. By Wednesday evening, officials shut down the road on Hatteras Island as the surge intensified, leaving Ocracoke Island cut off from its ferry terminal. The closures left villages stranded, with residents bracing for tides that could further isolate communities.
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Widespread Coastal Warnings
The National Hurricane Center confirmed tropical storm conditions across parts of the Outer Banks and coastal Virginia. Meanwhile, Bermuda issued alerts urging people to avoid the water as dangerous surf built offshore. From Florida to New England, authorities warned of life-threatening rip currents and rising tides. Nantucket could see waves topping 10 feet, though the worst impact is expected to remain concentrated in North Carolina.
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Governor’s Urgent Appeal
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein urged residents to take the storm seriously as evacuations and beach closures were enforced. “Dangerous conditions can be felt far from the eye, especially with a system as large as Erin,” echoed Will Ray, the state’s emergency management director. With winds near 105 mph (165 kph), the Category 2 hurricane remained a formidable threat despite not making landfall.
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Residents Stay Defiant
Despite evacuation orders for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, many residents refused to leave. “We probably wouldn’t stay if it was coming directly at us,” said Rob Temple, who runs sailboat cruises on Ocracoke. Others recalled storms from their youth, like Jacob Throne of Hatteras Island, who shrugged: “I remember taking canoes out of my front yard to get to school, so I don’t think it’s gonna be that bad.”
Rip Currents Rescue Dozens
Officials reported more than 80 rescues from rip currents at Wrightsville Beach in just one day, with more than a dozen swimmers saved again on Tuesday. Bob Oravec, a National Weather Service forecaster, warned: “You can be aware all you want. It can still be dangerous.” Despite widespread warnings, some swimmers continued to defy closures in North Carolina and farther north.
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Threat to Fragile Coastline
North Carolina officials warned that towering waves reaching nearly 20 feet (6 meters) could worsen flooding and further erode the fragile coast. Dozens of beach houses already weakened by years of erosion remain at risk, said David Hallac, superintendent of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The rising water surged beneath stilted homes and even under the Cape Hatteras Motel, putting property and infrastructure in peril.
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Broader Storm Outlook
Erin stretched across 500 miles (800 kilometers), making it one of the season’s largest storms. Early Thursday, the system was about 205 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, moving north-northeast at 17 mph. The hurricane center is also monitoring two additional tropical disturbances in the Atlantic, potentially signaling more named storms ahead. Scientists warn that warmer oceans are fueling rapid intensification, making Atlantic hurricanes increasingly catastrophic.