Hurricane Erin moves northeast as flooding threatens East Coast

WorldEnvironment
23 Aug 2025 • 3:28 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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Hurricane Erin moved northeast after battering several East Coast states with coast flooding and “life-threatening” rip tides.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued a state of emergency on Thursday in preparation for the storm, which brought coastal flooding and hazardous surf conditions to the region. Crews rescued at least 50 people from cars, bars and restaurants on Thursday night amid flooding in Margate City, which is situated on the Jersey Shore, ABC 6 reports.

This comes after Hurricane Erin hit North Carolina's Outer Banks with strong winds and waves.

Several areas along the East Coast issued swim bans through Friday, including New York City.

The hurricane first formed on August 11 from a tropical wave that moved across the Cape Verde Islands and intensified rapidly.

Key Points

  • Hurricane winds affect New Jersey coast amid state of emergency
  • Erin pulls away but dangerous surf to persist along East Coast, says NHC
  • Atlantic braces for new storms

What to know about Hurricane Erin

16:32

,

Katie Hawkinson

Hurricane Erin has caused coastal flooding and “life-threatening” rip currents on the East Coast this week.

The storm is now moving away from the U.S., but it will still produce hazardous conditions along the East Coast.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Hurricane Erin was downgraded to a Category 1 storm on Friday.

  • Hurricane Erin will still produce “life-threatening surf and rip currents along the beaches of the Bahamas, much of the east coast of the U.S., Bermuda, and Atlantic Canada during the next several days,” the National Hurricane Center said on Friday.

  • The mid-Atlantic and New England regions will continue to see coastal flooding through Friday night.

  • Swimming bans are in effect at New York City beaches through Friday.

End of coverage

20:01

,

Graig Graziosi

The liveblog covering Hurricane Erin is now closed.

Stick with The Independent for more news.

Mapped: Hurricane Erin's winds over the next five days

19:10

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Katie Hawkinson

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Watch: Forecasters watching the potential for two more storms after Hurricane Erin

18:16

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Katie Hawkinson

Watch: Hurricane Erin batters Maryland coast

17:07

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Katie Hawkinson

‘The threat of rip currents remain’

16:00

,

Joe Sommerlad

This was the scene on Rockaway Beach in New York this morning.

Swim bans in NYC extended as 'life-threatening' rip currents persist

15:32

,

Katie Hawkinson

Even as Hurricane Erin moves away from the East Coast, “life-threatening” rip currents are still possible over the next several days, the National Hurricane Center said.

This comes as officials in several areas issue swim bans and warn people to stay out of ocean waters.

New York City extended its swim ban through Friday, while New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy warned residents to stay out of the water earlier this week.

Mapped: Hurricane Erin's expected path

15:28

,

Katie Hawkinson

The National Hurricane Center released a map of Hurricane Erin’s predicted path over the next several days.

The storm is forecasted to weaken into a post-tropical storm over the next 24 hours, the National Hurricane Center said.

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In pictures: Hurrican Erin floods Norfolk, Virginia

14:43

,

Katie Hawkinson

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Bermuda calls time on Hurricane Erin

14:15

,

Joe Sommerlad

The Bermuda government has said that the danger posed by this week’s tropical storm has now passed it by.

However, it says it is still tracking “two additional systems in the Atlantic with potential for cyclone development.”

New Jerseyites warned of flooding, 50mph winds and 17ft waves

13:30

,

Joe Sommerlad

In announcing his state of emergency declaration for 21 counties yesterday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said:

“Over the past couple of days, we have seen the effects of Hurricane Erin along the Jersey Shore in the form of dangerous rip tides. Today and tomorrow will be no exception.

“As the storm moves past New Jersey over the next 24 hours, we are expecting high surf and rip currents, coastal and flash flooding, and a high erosion risk in parts of the state. We ask all New Jerseyans to monitor local weather forecasts and warnings and stay informed on evacuation protocols, especially if you’re down the Shore.”

Satellite imagery captures Erin from above

12:45

,

Joe Sommerlad

The sheer size of the Atlantic storm at its peak has been extraordinary.

Social media users post videos of huge waves and choppy conditions driven by Erin

12:00

,

Joe Sommerlad

Despite the official warnings, people appear to have been taking serious risks to try the surf.

Erin’s northeastward drift revealed in latest updates

11:15

,

Joe Sommerlad

Here’s ABC’s New York meteorologist to show us where the storm is headed this weekend.

Satellite imagery appears to suggest it is beginning to be torn apart but still has a powerful central core.

Erin ‘in the first stages of post-tropical transition,’ says NHC

10:31

,

Joe Sommerlad

Here are the latest updates from the National Hurricane Center, which again warns would-be swimmers not to risk their lives on East Coast beaches this weekend.

NASA wants your photos of hurricane damage — here's why

09:30

,

Stuti Mishra

NASA is launching a pilot program to harness citizen science for faster hurricane disaster recovery.

The space agency, in collaboration with the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, a science and education initiative, is spearheading a new Response Mapper project.

This innovative initiative will utilize photographs submitted by the public, both before and after a disaster, to track ground conditions in affected areas.

Read on...

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Here’s why NASA wants your photos of hurricane damage

Hurricane Erin mapped: Tracking the course

08:46

,

Stuti Mishra

Hurricane Erin is moving northward away from the US coast. Here’s the path

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Hurricane Erin mapped: Tracking areas most likely to see the impacts of the storm

Hurricane Erin pulls away but dangerous surf to persist along US East Coast, says NHC

08:10

,

Stuti Mishra

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Hurricane Erin will continue to generate life-threatening surf and rip currents along much of the US East Coast, the Bahamas, Bermuda and Atlantic Canada over the coming days.

Storm surge flooding is beginning to ease along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, though high waves are still expected to cause beach erosion and some road closures. Tropical storm-force gusts remain possible along parts of the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England into Friday.

Bermuda is forecast to see tropical storm conditions through early Friday, while gusts up to gale force could reach Nova Scotia later on Friday and Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula by Saturday, according to the NHC.

View of Hurricane Erin swirling north

07:30

,

Stuti Mishra

What is Cabo Verde ‘storm train’ fuelling back to back storms

06:45

,

Stuti Mishra

A conveyor belt of tropical waves rolling off Africa’s west coast – often called the Cabo Verde “storm train” – is fuelling the latest burst of activity in the Atlantic. These long-track systems usually emerge near the islands and can travel for more than a week across the ocean, sometimes strengthening into hurricanes.

AccuWeather meteorologists say about one in every three to five of these waves develops into a tropical storm, with the odds highest during late August and September, the peak of hurricane season. It was this same pattern that gave rise to Hurricane Erin, which exploded into a Category 5 in just over 24 hours last week.

Several more waves are already evident over Africa and the eastern Atlantic, though not all will find conditions suitable for development. Forecasters warn that the conveyor of storms is likely to keep the basin active into September, with up to 13 additional named storms expected before the season ends on 30 November.

Atlantic braces for new storms after Hurricane Erin

06:10

,

Stuti Mishra

Meteorologists are monitoring at least two tropical waves in the Atlantic that could develop into the next named storm, Tropical Storm Fernand. One disturbance already brought gusty winds and bursts of rain to the northern Leeward Islands on Thursday, less than a week after Hurricane Erin’s devastating passage. Erin rapidly intensified from a tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane in just over 24 hours, unleashing flash floods and widespread power outages across the same region.

AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert, Alex DaSilva, said there is “a high risk of tropical development in the Atlantic in the wake of Hurricane Erin.” He warned that residents of Bermuda should stay alert over the weekend as the wave could strengthen quickly. While the system is expected to curve northward sooner than Erin, reducing the chance of a US landfall, the potential for rapid intensification means close monitoring is essential, AccuWeather said.

A second tropical wave several hundred miles east-southeast is also showing signs of organisation as it tracks through the Atlantic’s main development region. However, experts caution that it may only have a short window to strengthen before running into dry air and disruptive upper-level winds. A smaller system in the central Atlantic is producing showers but has only a low chance of forming into a depression.

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Hurricane winds affect Jersey coast amid state of emergency

05:29

,

Stuti Mishra

Strong winds have started affecting Jersey shores and the rest of the East Coast as Hurricane Erin came closer, passing offshore.

A First Alert is in effect for the Jersey Shore and Delaware beaches from 6am to midnight. Governor Phil Murphy declared a State of Emergency for New Jersey.

The National Weather Service issued a Coastal Flood Warning for parts of the Jersey Shore and Delaware until 2am Saturday.

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Two homes in North Carolina teetered on the brink as Erin passed by

04:50

,

Oliver O'Connell

Two homes on North Carolina’s Outer Banks are teetering on the brink, their days seemingly numbered as they face the relentless Atlantic.

Since 2020, 11 neighbouring properties in the area have already succumbed to the ocean’s advance. While swells from distant storms like Hurricane Erin exacerbate the immediate danger, the underlying threats are constant: escalating beach erosion and the pervasive impact of climate change are steadily pushing the coastline inwards.

Continue reading...

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Two more homes near collapse as Hurricane Erin waves pound North Carolina

What was the impact on the East Coast?

04:20

,

Oliver O'Connell

Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina’s Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes as the monster storm inched closer to the mid-Atlantic coast.

Forecasters predicted the storm would peak Thursday and said it could regain strength and once again become a major hurricane, or Category 3 or greater, but it was not forecast to make landfall along the East Coast before turning farther out to sea.

Read on...

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Hurricane Erin stirs up strong winds, floods part of main highway as it creeps along the East Coast

Hurricane Erin mapped: Tracking the course

03:50

,

Oliver O'Connell

Here’s a look at Hurricane Erin’s path past the East Coast of the U.S.

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Hurricane Erin mapped: Tracking areas most likely to see the impacts of the storm

NASA wants your photos of hurricane damage — here's why

03:23

,

Oliver O'Connell

NASA is launching a pilot program to harness citizen science for faster hurricane disaster recovery.

The space agency, in collaboration with the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, a science and education initiative, is spearheading a new Response Mapper project.

This innovative initiative will utilize photographs submitted by the public, both before and after a disaster, to track ground conditions in affected areas.

Read on...

image is not available

Here’s why NASA wants your photos of hurricane damage

Watch: National Hurricane Center tracking three other areas of concern

02:30

,

Oliver O'Connell

Hurricane Erin: Where things stand on Thursday evening

02:00

,

Oliver O'Connell

  • Hurricane Erin, a Category 2 storm, has battered North Carolina's Outer Banks with strong winds and waves, causing localized flooding and prompting the evacuation of over 2,000 people from Ocracoke Island.

  • The hurricane is now moving north and out into the Atlantic, continuing to produce dangerous surf and rip currents along the East Coast, with warnings extending from the Carolinas to New England.

  • Despite initial concerns, the Outer Banks largely avoided widespread destruction, with no significant structural damage reported to homes or businesses, though sections of Highway 12 were closed due to flooding and dunes were breached.

  • Officials in New Jersey declared a state of emergency, and videos on social media show storm surge flooding in some streets near the ocean.

  • Swimming bans were imposed on beaches from New York City to Bermuda due to life-threatening rip currents, with authorities urging residents to stay out of the water.

  • Hurricane Erin, which formed on 11 August and rapidly intensified, is forecast to weaken and become a post-tropical storm over the weekend, with no predicted landfall in the U.S.

  • Meteorologists are closely monitoring three other areas of concern in the Atlantic that could develop into tropical storm systems, with one having a high chance of becoming a tropical depression within seven days.

Watch: Waves crash into Wildwood, New Jersey

01:47

,

Oliver O'Connell

Erin still a large hurricane — twice the size of the average storm

01:40

,

Oliver O'Connell

Hurricane Erin, formed nearly a week ago, remains an unusually large storm, spanning over 600 miles (965 kilometres) – double the size of an average hurricane – despite fluctuating intensity.

As of late Thursday morning, the hurricane centre reported Erin as a Category 2 storm, maintaining maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 kph). It is 285 miles (455 kilometres) east of Cape Hatteras.

The hurricane centre is also monitoring two tropical disturbances further out in the Atlantic. These 'Cape Verde' storms, developing over vast warm ocean waters, are historically among the most perilous to North America.

Watch: Flooding in downtown Margate, New Jersey

01:26

,

Oliver O'Connell

A video posted to X by TV news journalist Jason Evans appears to show the streets of Margate, New Jersey, inundated with the storm surge from Hurricane Erin.

New threat of coastal erosion from Erin

01:00

,

Oliver O'Connell

Coastal communities along North Carolina's Outer Banks faced an anxious Thursday morning as waves were estimated to reach heights of 5.5 meters (18 feet). The region, characterised by its low-lying sand dunes just a few feet above sea level, is particularly susceptible to the destructive power of storm surges, which can carve new inlets, wash vast amounts of sand and debris onto roads, and even damage infrastructure.

However, Dare County Manager Bobby Outten offered a measure of relief, stating that one of their gravest fears – the formation of new inlets – had not materialised with the storm Erin. Crucially, no significant structural damage was reported to homes or businesses.

“All in all, it's not as bad as it could have been,” Outten said. “Hopefully, the worst of it is behind us.”

The Hatteras Island Rescue Squad, a volunteer group, also confirmed they received no calls for rescues from Wednesday night through Thursday morning.

Despite the avoided catastrophe, the powerful waves did breach dunes on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, leading to the closure of sections of Highway 12, the area's primary thoroughfare. Ocracoke's vital connection to its ferry terminal was also severed.

New York and New England feel Erin’s impact

Friday 22 August 2025 00:40

,

Oliver O'Connell

Coastal communities along the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coast are bracing for tropical-storm-force wind gusts, with the National Hurricane Center in Miami warning these conditions could persist until early Friday.

Despite swimming bans imposed on New York City beaches on Thursday, including Rockaway Beach in Queens, more than a dozen surfers were seen riding the waves.

Local resident Scott Klossner, who lives nearby, embraced the challenging conditions, saying: “You wait all year round for these kinds of waves. It’s challenging, really hard to stay in one place because there’s a heavy, heavy, heavy rip. But this is what surfers want — a hurricane that comes but doesn’t destroy my house? I’ll take that.”

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Further north, Nantucket Island off the coast of Massachusetts is expected to see waves exceeding 10 feet (3 meters) this week. Authorities across the affected coastline have issued stark warnings throughout the week regarding potentially deadly rip currents. The danger was underscored earlier this week when dozens of people required rescue from Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina.

National Hurricane Center tracking three possible tropical depressions in Atlantic

Friday 22 August 2025 00:20

,

Oliver O'Connell

Meteorologists are tracking three other potential tropical depressions in the Atlantic that could develop into storms over the next seven days, and then possibly even hurricanes.

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“We're still following Hurricane Erin off the East Coast of the U.S., but we've got three other areas that we're watching,” a spokesperson for the National Hurricane Center in Miami said on Thursday afternoon.

“One of them far out in the Atlantic, another one in the middle of the Atlantic, and one approaching the Leeward Islands, a tropical wave that that is the system of most immediate concern to us, and we think it has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next seven days, and a medium chance within two days, and it is a concern to the island of Bermuda by the weekend.”

Erin still stirring up dangerous waves, even as it heads out to sea

Friday 22 August 2025 00:00

,

Oliver O'Connell

Hurricane Erin has begun its slow departure from the US East Coast, generating significant waves along the mid-Atlantic coast after lashing North Carolina’s Outer Banks with strong winds and swells that caused localised flooding. Despite initial concerns, the low-lying barrier islands appear to have largely dodged widespread destruction during the storm’s first brush on Wednesday.

Even as Erin gradually weakens and moves further offshore, forecasters warn of continued dangerous rip currents and coastal flooding threats from the Carolinas to New England throughout the weekend. Damage assessments are still underway on the Outer Banks, with the potential for more flooding during Thursday evening’s high tide.

Tropical storm warnings remain active along the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia, and for the island of Bermuda. Authorities in Bermuda have advised residents and tourists to stay out of the water until Friday.

With reporting from AP

What was the impact on North Carolina's Outer Banks?

Thursday 21 August 2025 23:30

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Oliver O'Connell

In the U.S., Hurricane Erin posed the most significant threat to North Carolina’s Outer Banks barrier islands, prompting Governor Josh Stein to declare a state of emergency on Tuesday.

The storm has brought dangerous waves and rip currents to the state, with sustained winds of 72 kph (45 mph) and gusts of 87 kph (54 mph) recorded at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. North Carolina has mobilized 200 National Guard troops and three swift-water rescue teams along the coast in preparation.

Highway 12, a crucial road for the Outer Banks, was closed on Wednesday night due to flooding from the storm surge.

Officials reported at least 75 people were rescued from rip currents in Wrightsville Beach, near Wilmington, by Tuesday.

In Rodanthe, two houses are perched precariously amid high waves; 11 other homes have collapsed into the surf there over the past five years as ocean waves erode the sand supporting their wooden pilings.

Here’s more on those houses:

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Two more homes near collapse as Hurricane Erin waves pound North Carolina

NASA captures Hurricane Erin in 3D from space

Thursday 21 August 2025 23:00

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Oliver O'Connell

This is both pretty cool and informative about the size of hurricanes.

We’re so used to seeing them top down on weather maps, but from the side, you really get a sense of the scale of these formations.

Watch: National Hurricane Center tracking three other areas of concern

Thursday 21 August 2025 22:40

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Oliver O'Connell

Dangerous conditions expected at beaches despite Erin moving on

Thursday 21 August 2025 22:20

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Oliver O'Connell

Forecasters have warned that even though Hurricane Erin is set to move out into the open Atlantic, “dangerous conditions” may still prove hazardous for beach-goers over the weekend.

“Storm surge may impact beaches from the Delmarva coastline to southern New Jersey through late Thursday night,” according to Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert.

“Several feet of water rise from Hurricane Erin may extend as far north as northern New Jersey and coastal areas near New York City.”

DaSilva added: “Even as Erin pushes out into the open Atlantic, dangerous conditions are expected at many beaches heading into the weekend.

“Do not let your guard down if you’re spending time at the beach on Friday or Saturday.

“It may seem like a nice beach day with sunshine and blue skies as the storm goes out to sea, but powerful rip currents will be lurking in the water through Saturday.”

What to know about Hurricane Erin as it tracks away from US

Thursday 21 August 2025 22:06

,

Oliver O'Connell

Hurricane Erin has continued to batter the North Carolina coast with powerful waves and gusty winds, even as it slowly tracks out to sea, posing an ongoing threat to beachgoers along the U.S. East Coast.

The storm, which had dropped to a Category 2 hurricane earlier in the week, maintained maximum sustained winds of around 100 mph (160 kph) on Thursday. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami forecast that Erin, currently 260 miles (420 kilometres) east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving north-northeast at 18 mph (29 kph), could regain major hurricane status before weakening by Friday.

Despite assurances that Erin would not make direct landfall in the United States, authorities have warned of dangerous water conditions along the East Coast. This prompted evacuation orders on several islands within North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a popular tourist destination. By Wednesday evening, Highway 12 on Hatteras Island was closed due to rising storm surge, and Ocracoke Island’s ferry connection was severed.

Earlier in its trajectory, the hurricane brought heavy rainfall to parts of the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Hurricane Erin windspeeds to exceed 100 mph in parts Thursday

Thursday 21 August 2025 21:44

View Original Article

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