As of Monday morning, Hurricane Erin is a category 4 storm near the Bahamas, with sustained winds of 130 miles per hour.
The National Hurricane Center expects additional strengthening on Monday, followed by gradual weakening, but Erin is expected to remain a large, major hurricane into midweek.
Forecasters said the storm will impact eastern North Carolina coastal areas, even though it isn’t expected to make direct landfall.
Large waves and high rip current risks are possible at eastern North Carolina beaches starting late Tuesday through Thursday. Meteorologists said 30-50 m.p.h. wind gusts across the Pamlico Sound and Outer Banks are also possible.
States of Emergency:
A state of emergency has been issued in Dare County, with mandatory evacuations for Hatteras Island. Officials said Hurricane Erin is forecast to bring life-threatening impacts to the coastline.
A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for Hatteras Island Zone A, which includes all of Hatteras Island, including the unincorporated villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras. All visitors in Hurricane Evacuation Zone A must evacuate beginning at 10:00 a.m. Monday, and residents in Hurricane Evacuation Zone A must evacuate beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
Those who are evacuating to areas north of Dare County are encouraged to travel westbound on Highway 64 to Interstate 95. Dare County officials say Portions of N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island will likely be impassable for several days.
A State of Emergency has also been issued for Ocracoke Island, with a mandatory evacuation in place.
The Hyde County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency for Ocracoke Island Sunday night because of the anticipated flooding from Hurricane Erin and potential impacts to Highway 12. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for visitors last night; residents will be under a mandatory evacuation order beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
County officials said Highway 12 is expected to be impassable for several days, and dangerous waves, 20 feet or more, will likely destroy protective dune structures along the highway. Hyde County EMS services may not be available in Ocracoke if the highway becomes inaccessible, and they are asking people to take the warning seriously.
First hurricane of expected active season
Erin is the first Hurricane of the season in the Atlantic, which is expected to be an active one.
Dr. Rick Luettich with the University of North Carolina College of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences said people often focus on the category of an approaching hurricane – which is measured by wind speed – but there are other factors to consider.
“You can shelter from the wind, but the storm surge is much harder to shelter from,” he said, “So, in that case, not only does the storm surge cause damage, but it can also cause considerable loss of life.”
“We had a really stark reminder in 2018 with Hurricane Florence, but also even Hurricane Matthew -- that was a year or two before -- and then dating back to Hurricane Floyd in the late 90s,” Leuttich said, “Rainfall can really be another substantial threat, both from a damage perspective and from loss of life.”
He said people should be prepared whenever a system approaches the North Carolina coast, even if it stays offshore.
He said, “We really have to be prepared for all three of those. Winds, the storm surge from the ocean and then the consequences of intense rainfall, particularly if it's a slow-moving storm.”
And it’s important to follow the advice of local emergency management officials. Leuttich said it’s, “Important to take them seriously, and certainly particularly as it relates to water. Follow the guidance of local emergency officials when they advise evacuation.”
Luettich also said it’s more important than ever for those that live away from the coast to pay attention to tropical systems. “Each year that goes by, the effects of a changing climate are, particularly from the perspective of rainfall, are increasing the attention we need to devote towards precipitation and flash flooding and more inland flooding,” he said.
