North Carolina faces a tropical storm warning as Hurricane Erin barrels up the East Coast as a Category 2 storm.
Erin was positioned approximately 335 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on Wednesday morning, the National Hurricane Center reported.
The entire state now sits under a state of emergency after Erin achieved maximum sustained winds of 110 mph whilst travelling north at 13 mph, the centre confirmed in its 2 p. m. bulletin while in the UK the Met Office issues verdict on whether Hurricane Erin will hit UK weather this weekend.
With winds stretching outward up to 90 miles from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds reaching up to 265 miles from the centre, Erin has developed into a substantial hurricane, reports the Mirror US.
The storm is anticipated to maintain hurricane strength throughout the week whilst continuing to expand during its Atlantic crossing.
“I want to emphasize the importance of taking this storm seriously, because it’s a serious storm and conditions can deteriorate quickly,” North Carolina Governor Josh Stein declared at a Wednesday press conference.
Erin is forecast to pivot north-northeast on Wednesday and traverse the western Atlantic between the US East Coast and Bermuda, before tracking south of Atlantic Canada over the weekend, the centre stated.
The storm will reach its closest point to the US on Thursday, when onshore winds will peak in intensity, potentially triggering coastal flooding and hazardous rip currents. In preparation for these conditions, New York City shut its beaches to swimming on Wednesday and Thursday.
Several beaches across New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware will also face temporary closures.
Nantucket Island in Massachusetts could experience waves exceeding 10 feet later this week, though the greatest danger lies along North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Certain swimmers are disregarding the alerts, leading to more than a dozen individuals being pulled from rip currents at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina on Tuesday – just one day after over 80 people required rescue.
Erin may intensify between Wednesday and Thursday, though forecasters predict it will weaken by Friday, the hurricane centre reported.
“Regardless of the track of the centre of the storm, dangerous conditions can be felt far from the eye, especially with the system as large as Erin, regardless of her track,” North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray said.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin posted on X that he was tracking Erin’s “offshore track.
“The storm is bringing dangerous water conditions to Virginia’s coast,” he wrote.
“In addition to current extremely dangerous rip tides and rough surf, starting tonight, expect tidal flooding at evening high tide, dangerous surf, and beach erosion through Friday. State and local teams are ready to respond to flooding and other storm issues, the governor said.
“Please stay clear of the water and follow local safety advisories. “.