Tourists and Residents Evacuate
Hurricane Erin has forced visitors to cut short their trips on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, even though the storm is forecast to stay offshore. The hurricane lashed parts of the Caribbean on Monday with heavy rain and strong winds.
Authorities issued evacuation orders for several barrier islands along the Carolina coast, warning of dangerous rip currents and waves reaching up to 15 feet (4.6 meters). On Ocracoke Island, tourists and residents waited for hours in car lines at the ferry dock — the only departure route besides flying.
Storm Track and Forecast
Forecasters expect Erin to turn north and away from the U.S. East Coast, though the storm is predicted to strengthen in the coming days, generating powerful waves and tropical-force winds along coastal islands, said Dave Roberts of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Current Storm Conditions
Erin intensified to a Category 4 hurricane on Monday, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph), impacting the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas. Local authorities suspended all services on three islands and instructed residents to remain indoors.
By Monday afternoon, Erin was positioned roughly 140 miles (220 kilometers) north of Grand Turk Island and about 850 miles (1,370 kilometers) southeast of Cape Hatteras.
Outer Banks Preparations
Coastal flooding in North Carolina’s Outer Banks is expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Thursday. Evacuations on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands come at the height of tourist season on these low-lying barrier islands, which are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges.
Last year, Hurricane Ernesto stayed well offshore of the U.S. East Coast but still produced high surf and swells that caused damage along the coast.
