Hurricane Erin, currently a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of 105–110 mph, is approaching its closest point to the U.S. mainland after more than ten days tracking across the Atlantic. Its sprawling cloud system now spans over 1,000 miles, stretching from the Bahamas up to southern New England.
On Wednesday, officials in North Carolina’s Outer Banks declared a state of emergency and ordered evacuations as the storm threatened the barrier islands with waves up to 20 feet high and severe coastal flooding. The Associated Press reported that New York City and parts of the mid-Atlantic are also on alert, though direct landfall on the U.S. mainland is not expected.
Governor Josh Stein confirmed that around 200 National Guard troops and emergency response teams have been deployed to prepare for rescue and recovery operations. He warned that floodwaters pose the greatest danger: “When there is flooding, there is a great risk of death, and what we don’t want is for people to die,” Stein said in a briefing.
Erin briefly strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane last weekend before weakening. As of Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center placed the storm’s center roughly 215 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and 485 miles west of Bermuda, moving north at 16 mph. While no direct strike is anticipated, forecasters warn that storm surges could isolate villages and vacation homes on the Outer Banks.
Preventive restrictions are already in effect further north. Beach access in New York City is suspended through Thursday, while swimming bans and coastal warnings have been issued in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. Forecasters also predict waves as high as 10 feet near Nantucket Island later this week, but emphasize that North Carolina faces the most immediate threat.
Though Erin has weakened from its peak, its sheer size and storm surge potential pose a serious hazard to coastal communities, underlining the vulnerability of barrier islands like the Outer Banks, where even a near-miss can produce destructive flooding and infrastructure damage.
