Hurricane Erin, still a dangerous Category 3, is now giving us a dramatic new look at its power as it continues to move through the ocean. The storm is not expected to make landfall in the U.S., but East Coast states could still experience significant swells and rainfall.
Fresh video from the U.S. Air Force Tuesday morning shows Erin’s massive eye spinning across the Atlantic.
Erin’s impact so far
Erin’s outer bands lashed the southeast Bahamas and Turks and Caicos on Monday, with 130 mph winds.
Since then, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos have seen significant flooding. As of Tuesday morning, tropical storm warnings remain in effect for Turks and Caicos and the southeast Bahamas.
Along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a new video captured the massive waves pounding the shore.
Lifeguards reported rescuing at least 60 swimmers on Monday alone.
Some evacuations are already underway on Hatteras Island, with parts of Highway 12 expected to stay underwater for days.
Erin’s forecast
Forecast models show Erin will bend north and then northeast by Thursday.
But forecasters warn of wells, or waves up to 20 feet high and winds as high as 120 miles per hour. This forecast has beach managers from Delaware to Long Island urging people to stay out of the water.
The storm’s hurricane-force winds stretch nearly 80 miles from its center, but as of now, Erin is not expected to make U.S. Landfall.
Current watches and warnings in effect include: a Storm Surge Watch from Cape Lookout to Duck, North Carolina; and a Tropical Storm Watch for the Central Bahamas and Beaufort Inlet to Duck, North Carolina, including Pamlico Sound.
