Hurricane Erin has intensified as it barrels north over the Atlantic Ocean, bringing dangerous conditions to the US East Coast over the next several days.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a Storm Surge Warning for the North Carolina coastline from Cape Lookout to Duck, warning of life-threatening flooding from rising waters moving inland.
Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect from Beaufort Inlet to Duck, with conditions expected within the next 36 hours, and a Tropical Storm Watch is in place north of Duck to Cape Charles Light, Virginia.
Officials caution that the storm surge, combined with high waves, could lead to significant beach erosion, overwash and impassable roads.
Life-threatening surf and rip currents are also expected along beaches from the Bahamas to the Mid-Atlantic, including Bermuda and parts of Atlantic Canada.
Beachgoers are urged to follow local warnings, lifeguard instructions and evacuation orders if issued.
The hurricane’s size continues to grow, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 80 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds reaching as far as 230 miles.
Erin is expected to accelerate as it moves northeast into the mid-latitude westerlies by Thursday.
While forecasters remain confident the center of the monster storm will remain far offshore, the outer edges are likely to bring damaging tropical-force winds, large swells and life-threatening rip currents.
The NHC said at 2pm on Tuesday: 'Large Hurricane Erin now moving north-northwestward……life-threatening rip currents expected along US East Coast beaches.'
Maximum sustained winds are near 105mph and the agency noted that fluctuations in strength are possible over the next few days.
Warnings about rip currents have been posted from Florida to the New England coast, but the biggest threat is along the barrier islands of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where evacuations have been ordered.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina could also see heavy rain Wednesday night into Thursday, with 1 to 2 inches likely and a local maximum of 4 inches.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in parts of the Outer Banks starting late Wednesday, and could affect areas north of Duck, North Carolina, up to Cape Charles Light by Thursday.
The NHC's alert noted that water levels could rise 2 to 4 feet above ground along the North Carolina coast from Cape Lookout to Duck.
'The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,' the agency said.
'The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide,' the NHC shared.
'Erin is a large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles,' the NHC said.
The agency added that Swells generated by Erin will affect the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the US and Atlantic Canada during the next several days.
'These rough ocean conditions are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents,' the NHC said.
South Carolina's coastal and low-country regions, including Charleston and Horry counties, are under warnings, worsened by saturated soils and potential storm surge.
New Jersey currently has no active coastal flood advisories, but heavy rainfall and potential storm surge continue to pose a risk.
A high danger of rip currents is in effect for all beaches through Wednesday evening.
Waves are expected to rise from four to six feet today, eight feet by Wednesday and 10 to 12 feet by Thursday.
Several towns, including Wildwood, have closed beaches, while Avalon temporarily closed a road due to wind-driven waves.
South-facing Long Island beaches, along with Cape Cod and Nantucket in Massachusetts, could see six- to nine-foot waves near shore and 12 to 15 feet offshore, with dangerous rip currents and minor tidal flooding.
Southeast Virginia, including Norfolk and Virginia Beach, is at risk of moderate coastal flooding.
One key update is that Erin continues to grow in size, with tropical-storm-force winds now extending closer to the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England coasts later this week.
