August 21, Thursday: Life-threatening rip currents and dangerous surf from Hurricane Erin are expected to affect the US East Coast for at least the next few days, officials warn, as the storm tracks northward. The storm has previously drenched the corridor of the Atlantic bank, including the North Carolina external Banks, a system of barrier islands. Tropical storm conditions would persist there on Thursday and start to reach Virginia, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Farther north still, including in the corridor of New England, are warnings of high winds.
Hurricane Erin brings powerful winds and dangerous surf to US East Coast
“Erin will continue to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents along the beaches of the Bahamas, much of the east coast of the U.S., Bermuda, and Atlantic Canada during the next several days. Beachgoers in those areas should follow advice from lifeguards, local authorities, and beach warning flags,” National Central Pacific Hurricane Center updated. "
"Life-hanging suds and rip currents will be churning up and down the East Coast through the coming couple of days," the National Weather Service (NWS) wrote in its update. "Beachgoers should follow advice from lifeguards, original authorities, and sand warning flags," the NWS advised. US weather experts have preliminarily advised that the 2025 hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November, could have a below-average number of storms. Warmer ocean temperatures made more likely by climate change, and generally favourable atmospheric conditions, are behind the cast. North Carolina is still recovering from last year's Hurricane Helene, and a state of emergency was declared earlier in the week by Governor Josh Stein.
Evacuations ordered in North Carolina’s Outer Banks as storm intensifies
In the external Banks, the communities of Hatteras and Ocracoke were ordered to be vacated, due to a fear that they could be disconnected from other islands.
A 96- time-old motel proprietor on Hatteras, Carol Dillon, told the BBC's US affiliate CBS News that" at my age, you take what comes".But she stressed that the storm could eat down at the land on which her demesne was erected." This is our livelihood," she explained." We could lose those two structures that are in the water right now. I am hoping we will not- I do a lot of soliciting."
Erin, the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, reached order-five status on Saturday. It has changed in strength since, and is presently designated order-two. In Turks and Caicos, an overseas British home, authorities suspended public services on the largest island while the storm was passing. According to the original energy company Luma, further than 150,000 people were left without power for a time in the US island of Puerto Rico after high winds damaged electricity lines.
