Hurricane Erin remains hundreds of miles off the eastern coast of the U.S. as a Category 2 storm as it moves north, and is expected to significantly weaken by Friday as it pulls away from the coast.
North Carolina’s Outer Banks are suffering the brunt of the storm, as tourists and residents alike faced evacuation orders as rough seas pounded homes and businesses.
Governor Josh Stein warned residents to stay away from flooded roadways. “Don’t do it,” he said. “You do not know how deep the water is or how fast it is running.”
A portion of North Carolina’s Highway 12, the only road to the islands, is closed due to overwash. Utility crews are standing by, ready to respond to any power outages.
Homes along the shore that are no longer protected by dunes after years of beach erosion are particularly vulnerable.
“This, I think, is by far the worst,” said Buxton, North Carolina resident Melinda Meadows. “I’m anxious.”
Further north, beaches are shut down in New York City, where waves could reach as high as 20 feet on Thursday, and dangerous rip currents threaten swimmers. Officials on the New Jersey shore are warning people to not only stay out of the water, but off the beach entirely.
“You could get a rogue set of waves coming in, and if you’re on the beach, comes in, take your feet right out from under you and pull you right out,” said Asbury Park, New Jersey Beach Chief Lifeguard Joe Bongiovanni.
In Virginia Beach, thousands of tourists enjoying the final few weeks of summer are being warned about potentially deadly rip currents as Hurricane Erin barrels offshore. The storm is causing coastal flood warnings, especially at high tide, along with big waves and strong winds, up to 40 miles and hour.
The wave activity is a boon for the 800 contestants competing in the 63rd annual East Coast Surfing Championship, one of the longest-running surfing contests in the world. The large waves resulting from Erin will make for stronger competition.
“Usually, it’s about knee-high, unless we get a hurricane,” said Virginia Beach surfer Henry Thompson. “So this is our favorite time of year, because we actually get waves.”
