The island communities off the coast of North Carolina are bracing for the worst as Hurricane Erin barrels across the Atlantic Ocean slated to make devastating destruction.
Weather models show that Erin has strengthen to a menacing 140 miles per hour, prompting fears of massive flooding. According to multiple reports, the year’s first Atlantic hurricane isn’t expected to make direct landfall in the United States, but several islands along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, including Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island, are preparing for the worst, as mandatory evacuations are in order.
The Category 4 hurricane has reached sustained winds of 140 miles per hour as of early Monday, with Turks and Caicos and the southeast Bahamas getting pelted by the storm. In Puerto Rico, more than 150,000 people were left without power after high winds damaged electricity lines.
Meteorologist Justin Berk tweeted that, as of 11 a.m. local time on Monday, waves as high as 20 feet could pound North Carolina’s coast.
Hurricane Erin is STRONGER 140 mph winds.
⏰ Update 11 AM Mon Aug 18
🌊Wave Forecast UP TO 20 Ft for OBX
🚨MANDATORY EVACUATIONS in NC Dare County!
🌀 Erin has doubled in size and will double again…
📏 80 miles out for Hurricane Force Winds; 230 miles out for Tropical Storm… pic.twitter.com/W77mpjWJvX— Justin Berk (@JustinWeather) August 18, 2025
Latest on eastern NC coastal impacts from a passing by Hurricane Erin. 15-20+ foot waves leading to coastal flooding and beach erosion likely. https://t.co/Hk3pbO7x8H pic.twitter.com/EZ30y1oJQa
— Mike’s Weather Page (@tropicalupdate) August 18, 2025
Where is Hurricane Erin headed?
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami forecasts that Erin will turn northeast and away from the eastern U.S. That being said, the agency warns that storm surge and high winds are expected along North Carolina’s coast, along with dangerous waves and rip currents.
The National Hurricane Center predicts that coastal flooding will devastate North Carolina starting Tuesday.
Who is most at risk?
The National Hurricane Center predicts that portions of Highway 12 on Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands are mots at risk for storm surge.
There’s also major concern that parts of the main highway running along the barrier islands will be slammed by winds and violent waves, with significant coastal flooding and erosion feared.
And according to AccuWeather, the Outer Banks and Cape Cod, Massachusetts may experience waves of 15 to 20 feet. There’s also concern that waves of 10 to 15 feet are possible in the eastern part of Long Island, New York.
Forecasters are also warning about dangerous rip tides across the entire East Coast.
Related: Hurricane Erin Spaghetti Models & Live Tracker: Where Will the Storm Hit?
What is an eyewall replacement?
Hurricane Erin on Sunday experienced the rare phenomenon.
“This means that as the old eyewall expands outward, a new eyewall forms closer to the center,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham explained. “Top winds often ease back during this cycle, but it is followed by another surge in wind intensity as the new eye completes organization.”
How strong is Hurricane Erin?
The Category 4 hurricane is being billed as one of the most intense ever. AccuWeather reported that Erin experienced “one of the most rapid intensification cycles on record, strengthening from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just over a day— 27 hours, 20 minutes to be exact.”
AccuWeather continued, “At 8 a.m. on Friday, Erin was a 70-mph tropical storm. At 11 a.m. on Friday, Erin’s strength had edged to hurricane intensity at 75 mph. From 11 a.m. on Friday to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Erin increased to a 155-mph Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. Just minutes later, as fresh data arrived from hurricane hunter aircraft, Erin became a 160-mph Category 5.”
