Hurricane Erin continues to churn up the East Coast as a Category 2 storm, packing winds up to 110 miles an hour. As of Thursday morning, the storm was about 200 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, tracking north at 17 miles an hour.
In the latest update from the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center said Erin was just starting to pull away from the North Carolina coast. It warned against swimming at most East Coast beaches due to dangerous surf and rip currents.
Current East Coast conditions
Erin has already impacted the coast, with large waves hitting the Outer Banks. Rip currents and high waves remain a threat. North Carolina issued a Tropical Storm Warning and Storm Surge Warning.
Water has been flowing over dunes, into coastal streets, and partially submerging Highway 12, the main road on and off the barrier island. A storm surge caused the road to close on Wednesday night.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein spoke about the hurricane during a news conference on Wednesday, saying, “I want to emphasize the importance of taking this storm seriously, because it’s a serious storm and conditions can deteriorate quickly.”
Beaches from the Jersey Shore to Long Island will be closed on Thursday due to public rip current and coastal flooding warnings.
New York is preparing for high water in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx.
Erin’s track through the weekend
The National Hurricane Center said Erin’s eye will likely continue passing between Bermuda and the East Coast through early Friday. Then, it will pass south of Atlantic Canada on Friday and Saturday.
NWS forecasted gradual weakening over the next couple of days. Erin is expected to become a post-tropical storm by Saturday.
