Federal forecasters are warning residents and visitors to stay off East Coast beaches as Hurricane Erin moves north, creating dangerous waves, flooding, and severe weather along the shoreline. The most urgent alerts are for North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where mandatory evacuations have been ordered for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
As of 2 p.m. ET, the storm was approximately 335 miles from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, but its impacts are already being felt onshore. Strong winds, coastal flooding, and storm surge are forecast for parts of North Carolina and Virginia, while life-threatening rip currents are expected along multiple states on the East Coast.
See Hurricane Erin in 3D 🌀
Erin went through a period of rapid intensification, strengthening from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane in around 24 hours.@NASA’s GPM Core Observatory passed over Hurricane Erin at 6:23a.m. EDT on August 16th, while it was intensifying. pic.twitter.com/1cjErVekCy
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) August 20, 2025
National Weather Service Warns of Long-Duration Event
Here is the latest one-page briefing regarding Hurricane Erin. Also available on our website here: https://t.co/kgYGFRiAjS pic.twitter.com/0KXGuevM9u
— NWS Charleston, SC (@NWSCharlestonSC) August 20, 2025
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Newport/Morehead City reported on Wednesday:
“Coastal flooding, storm surge, and overwash have already begun,” warning of a “long-duration event” for the Outer Banks.
According to NWS, Erin’s impacts will peak Wednesday night into Thursday, with some areas continuing to experience dangerous conditions through Friday.
Evacuations and Emergency Preparations Underway
Local officials have issued mandatory evacuation orders for Ocracoke and Hatteras islands. Emergency shelters are open, including accommodations for pets, and first responders are on standby.
William Ray, North Carolina’s Public Safety Director, urged residents to comply with evacuation notices:
“If you’ve been asked to evacuate, please do so now, before conditions deteriorate and roads become impassable. Regardless of the track of the center of the storm, dangerous conditions can be felt far from the eye, especially with a system as large as Erin.”
Beach Closures and Rip Current Dangers
WATCH: Ocean surge begins in the Outer Banks, N.C. due to Hurricane Erinpic.twitter.com/jq21HS2gcX
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 20, 2025
Beaches from North Carolina to New York are closing as Erin’s powerful winds generate life-threatening rip currents and high surf. Public safety officials have banned swimming and issued no-entry warnings until conditions improve.
In North Carolina, lifeguards have already rescued multiple swimmers from dangerous waters. The NWS highlighted the extreme hazard:
“Rip currents associated with Erin can move faster than Olympic swimmers, making them deadly for anyone caught in them.”
Residents and visitors are strongly advised to avoid the ocean until the storm passes.
