North Carolina’s coast will get rocked by massive waves as the storm makes its closest approach today. Follow here for live updates.
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in parts of the Outer Banks, which will get rocked with storm surge and destructive waves of 20 feet or more later today.have been conducted this week in North Carolina alone. Officials all along the East Coast are warning people to stay out of the water.NOAA's GOES-19 satellite sees Hurricane Erin spinning off the East Coast from its fixed position far above the planet over the equator. GOES-19's job is to keep an eye on the eastern United States and the Atlantic Ocean, where two other tropical systems can be seen gathering strength north of the equator.Hurricane Erin is tracking north as a Category 2 storm, nearly parallel to the East Coast. It is expected to strengthen back into a Category 3 hurricane later today.The storm is a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane is tracking to the north at 14 mph and is about 300 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.Erin’s heavier rain and wind are about 50 miles away from North Carolina’s coast, but the hurricane’sare producing thin lines of rain and thunderstorms in the eastern part of the state. Ocean conditions will continue to deteriorate in the coming hours.Erin’s winds will generate dangerous storm surge in North Carolina despite not making landfall. Crews with the North Carolina Department of Transportation shored the protective dunes next to the state’s Highway 12, the road that connects the islands of the Outer Banks.Dave Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, said dozens of structures are threatened to some degree in the town of Rodanthe and village of Buxton. Beach erosion is a key reason why homes in the Outer Banks are so vulnerable.The massive size of Hurricane Erin and days of powerful winds over the open ocean have pushed up water levels along the East Coast. Tidal gauges from South Florida to New York are all running about a foot higher than normal. The highest storm surge is occurring along the coast of the Carolinas where they just experienced a high tide. Water levels in Myrtle Beach, Wilmington and throughout the Outer Banks have been about a foot and a half higher than usual during this high tide cycle. Water levels will now retreat in the coming hours with low tide across the Carolinas happening shortly after midnight.The next high tide will also coincide with Erin’s closest pass to the coast, which will bring the strongest winds , largest waves and greatest coastal flood threat.Virginia is starting to preposition resources in Virginia Beach and it’s eastern shore to help with the effects of Hurricane Erin, although major impacts aren’t expected, Governor Glenn Youngkin said during a news conference. The Virginia Department of Transportation are clearing drains, and tree and power crews are prepositioning ahead of impact, he said.Water covers Highway 12 near Hatteras Village, North Carolina. A sand dune to keep water off the road was built on the ocean side of highway.Unfortunately, Hurricane Erin’s storm surge was too much for NC12 tonight. We will be CLOSING NC12 from Oregon Inlet to Hatteras Village at 6:30 p.m. Conditions are too unsafe for people to be driving in. If you come across any flood waters, turn around, don’t drown.NASA released a 3D view of Hurricane Erin from four days ago as it was intensifying quickly in the Atlantic Ocean.The Global Precipitation Measurement satellite, or GPM, could see through the atmosphere, capturing the depth of the clouds and the moisture they contained. The white, cottony blobs represent the clouds, and the colors represent the intensity of rainfall. The GPM mission is helping scientists understand rainfall patterns, the global water cycle and improve forecasting of extreme weather events like hurricanes.North Carolina’s Highway 12, the main roadway throughout the Outer Banks barrier islands, is already starting to see impacts as Hurricane Erin moves closer to the coast. Traffic cameras from the state’s Department of Transportation show sections of the road overtaken by rushing water in Buxton, while sand and debris cover the road in Hatteras Village and Canal Zone. A portion of the highway on Ocracoke Island between the Pony Pens and the Ferry Terminal is closed until further notice, the transportation department said.Some beachgoers were still soaking in the waves at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, earlier today despite a no swimming advisory as Hurricane Erin nears the region.The beach was cleared this afternoon by an ocean rescue team due to lightning within 10 miles of the beach. “These swells are producing powerful rip currents that can create extremely hazardous swimming conditions,” the town’s ocean rescue director, Sam Proffitt, said in a news release. “The safety of our beachgoers is always our top priority, and we urge everyone to follow this advisory.”Erin’s strength has remained steady over the past few hours. It’s still a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph, according to the 5 p.m. ET update from the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane is tracking to the north at 14 mph and is about 300 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Erin’s heavier rain and wind are about 50 miles away from North Carolina’s coast, but the hurricane’s outermost rainbands are producing thin lines of rain and thunderstorms in the eastern part of the state. Ocean conditions will continue to deteriorate in the coming hours while gusty winds start to pick up considerably — especially after sunset.over 2,200 people and 1,100 cars from Ocracoke Island, where an evacuation order is in effect, as of this morning as they prepare for impacts from Hurricane Erin. The last ferry on the Ocracoke-Hatteras route will be at 4:00 pm ET, and the last ferry on the Ocracoke-South Dock route will be 5:30 pm ET, the ferry system saidLink Copied! The highest tide levels of the month are forecast today and Thursday for parts of North Carolina. Add in Erin’s waves, and the coastal flood threat is significant, especially in the Outer Banks.Rain and a few thunderstorms from Erin’s farthest rainbands are moving in thin lines across eastern North Carolina this afternoon. The hurricane’s heavier rainbands — which also contain stronger winds — are still about 50 miles off the coast.The massive storm has developed an eye today as it has strengthened, and the mass of clouds can be seen swirling counterclockwise over the ocean like ice cream coming out of the soft-serve machine.Crews with the North Carolina Department of Transportation are shoring the protective dunes next to the state’s Highway 12 prior to Erin’s peak storm surge.Officials have warned it could be completely inaccessible for several days due to significant coastal flooding.On Friday afternoon, Erin was a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds. Just 24 hours later, the hurricane exploded to Category 5 strength, with sustained winds of 160 mph. It put Erin in the history books as one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes on record, and potentially the fastest intensification rate for any storm earlier than September 1. Rapid intensification is when a hurricane gains at least 35 mph of wind speed in at least 24 hours, and such extreme rapid intensification historically tends to happen in September and October. The phenomenon has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms due to fossil fuel pollution. Hurricane Erin joins the list of only 43 Category 5 hurricanes on record in the Atlantic. It is the 11th Category 5 hurricane recorded in the Atlantic since 2016, an unusually high number. It’s also unusual to see a Category 5 storm form so early, particularly outside of the Gulf, as the strongest hurricanes tend to occur later in the season.Dare County, home to much of the Outer Banks, has announced its water department will shut off water to part of the village of Buxton by 5 p.m. due to ocean overwash concerns. Overwash happens when a storm’s waves are taller than the dunes, causing the water to push sand inland. An area south of Highway 12 will be affected by the water shut off. The county also urged anyone still on Hatteras Island to evacuate immediately, or prepare to shelter in place. “The window to safely evacuate is closing quickly due to coastal flooding and overwash that has already begun to impact portions of NC Highway 12—and is forecast to worsen by this evening and continue to deteriorate. As the 6 p.m. high tide approaches this evening, be ready to shelter in place,” the county said in a 2 p.m. ET bulletin. “Although the most severe impacts from Hurricane Erin are expected on Hatteras Island, residents and visitors north of Oregon Inlet—especially those staying along the oceanfront—should remain alert.”When a hurricane barrels across the ocean, it doesn’t just kick up waves, it stirs the water beneath it like a blender. That mixing drags cooler water from the deep ocean up to the surface in a process called upwelling. Normally, that leaves behind a trail of chillier water that acts like natural storm repellent. Hurricanes need warm water to grow, so the cooler wake usually makes it harder for the next system to strengthen. But Erin’s churning hasn’t put much of a dent in development potential for the storms trailing behind it: Two areas in the Atlantic have a medium chance to develop into at least tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center. It’s because the Atlantic sea surface temperatures in much of Erin’s former track are still running above average. Climate change driven by fossil fuel pollution has warmed not just the surface, but the water below it. So when Erin drags up cooler water, it’s still plenty warm enough to fuel more storms. In the past, one big hurricane could cool the ocean enough to slam the brakes on the next. Now, in an overheated Atlantic, that buffer is disappearing.Erin’s fierce winds will generate dangerous, damaging storm surge in North Carolina despite the hurricane never making landfall. Up to 4 feet of storm surge is possible for portions of the Outer Banks as Erin makes its closest approach later tonight and into tomorrow. A 4-foot storm surge may not sound like much, but when the entire area is at or just above sea level, it’s life-threatening. The wall of water from a surge is also incredibly powerful. A 4-foot storm surge packs 250 pounds of pressure per square foot. That much storm surge hitting a home is the same force as multiple cars slamming into it. Spread that power across a shoreline, and it’s enough to rip out dunes, flood roadways and damage homes, even with the hurricane hundreds of miles away.A lifeguard stand sits empty, as a flag with"no swimming" sign flutters in the wind at Rockaway Beach in New York on Wednesday.in the Atlantic a little over 200 miles northwest of Erin’s center recently reported waves up to 29.9 feet. These nearly 30-foot waves are happening about 350 miles off the coast of the Carolinas.Waves will get bigger as Erin gets closer to the buoy this afternoon. Buoys like this also log wind speed and pressure, among many other variables. It’s possible the waves Erin is generating are much bigger than what’s being captured by the buoys, which are scattered thinly over this part of the ocean. Some weather forecast models predict Erin will generate waves larger than 100 feet. Erin’s biggest waves won’t make it all the way to the coast, but waves of 20 feet or more will crash into North Carolina late tonight and into tomorrow as the hurricane makes its closest approach.When people built houses in Rodanthe, North Carolina, decades ago, “nobody expected to be here on the ocean,” Frank Colletta told CNN, speaking just steps from the shoreline. “In the 70s, the beach was another 300 feet out,” Colletta said. But with ongoing erosion, the ocean is on the doorstep — or closer — of many of these homes. Rodanthe is experiencing some of the“Mother Nature is undefeated,” Colletta said. “She’s going to eventually win and take these houses.” Colletta, who has lived in the area since 2009, said while he isn’t too concerned about Erin, he did take some precautions to batten down the hatches at home. Locals are generally more worried when a storm takes more of an inside track, Colletta said, though people are concerned about Highway 12 – the islands’ primary thoroughfare – being impassable for a few days. And Erin remains a concern for the oceanfront homes, many of which
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