Hurricane Erin has held major strength for three days, roaring across the northwest Atlantic with winds near 140 mph and a sprawling wind field unusual even for a Category 4 storm. While its center remains on track to bypass the U.S. mainland, forecasters warn that Erin’s sheer size will still bring dangerous impacts along parts of the East Coast, the Bahamas, and Bermuda.
As of Monday afternoon, Erin was located about 140 miles north of Grand Turk Island, moving west-northwest at 10 mph with a central pressure of 937 mb. Squalls from its outer rainbands have already brushed Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Hispaniola, and the Turks and Caicos, delivering up to six inches of rain in places and prompting island-wide shutdowns.
In the U.S., North Carolina officials have ordered mandatory evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. Visitors were directed to leave on Monday, with residents to follow on Tuesday. The concern is not a direct landfall but powerful surf: waves up to 20 feet could breach protective dunes, overwash roads, and leave sections of the Outer Banks impassable for days.
Life-threatening rip currents are expected along much of the East Coast this week. Tropical-storm-force winds may also clip eastern North Carolina and parts of the Bahamas, arriving sooner and with greater intensity than early forecasts suggested.
Meteorologists note that Erin’s track has nudged slightly west and slowed, allowing its broad circulation to rake multiple islands with heavy rain and squalls. An eyewall replacement cycle over the weekend expanded the storm’s size, magnifying its reach even as it briefly weakened.
Though Erin is not forecast to make a U.S. landfall, its outsized surf, rainbands, and flood threats serve as a reminder: the most dangerous hurricanes don’t always have to hit directly.
