Hurricane Erin batters the East Coast with 20-foot waves, flooding, and rip currents, forcing beach closures from North Carolina to New York, while residents and surfers react differently.
Hurricane Erin, heading towards the Atlantic, is expected to intensify by Thursday. Although it may not cause a landfall, its outer bands are affecting North Carolina's Outer Banks with tropical-force winds.
Highway 12 on Hatteras Island was shut down after water and waves surged across the streets on Wednesday evening. The ferry connection to Ocracoke was also cut off. Officials warned that high tides could form high-volt rip currents from Florida to New England, isolating coastal villages and vacation homes.
New York City has shut down its beaches on Wednesday and Thursday as precautionary measures. Long Island is also facing 13-foot waves. New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland. Massachusetts' Nantucket Island were also ordered for closure.
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Locals are seemingly calm amid the chaos, “I remember taking canoes out of my front yard to get to school, so I don’t think it’s gonna be that bad,” said Jacob Throne of Hatteras Island.
On the other hand, surfers reached Virginia Beach for the East Coast Surfing Championship, where Erin left rare, strong spells. A competitor, Henry Thompson, said, “Usually we get a surf competition and it gets cancelled due to no waves.”
More than a dozen swimmers were pulled out of the rip currents by the rescue teams at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on Tuesday. 80 people were rescued a day earlier. “You can be aware all you want,” said forecaster Bob Oravec. “It can still be dangerous.”
ALSO READ: North Carolina Prepares for Life-Threatening Surf as Hurricane Erin Approaches
North Carolina's emergency management director warned that the dangerous conditions caused by Erin can be felt from afar. The officials stated that severe coastal flooding can be caused by waves up to 20 feet and winds of 110 mph.
Erin was was recorded 215 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras on Wednesday, with stormy winds exceeding nearly 500 miles. Tropical storm warnings are issued in North Carolina and Virginia, as Bermuda braces for heavy seas.
The National Hurricane Centre is also tracking two more tropical storms.
