Erin will make its closest approach to the United States late Wednesday into Thursday morning. Here are three things you need to watch for.
Costal flooding and dune erosion far the center.
Significant coastal impacts including dune erosion and damages to precarious beach homes are expected on Wednesday night into Thursday for eastern North Carolina, as Erin moves in offshore, especially along the Outer Banks. Even Long Island beaches could see the threat for beach flooding, beach erosion and areas of dune erosion that could increase with successive high through Thursday night.
The Virginia coast, the Chesapeake Bay and other mid-Atlantic coast lines from the low country of the Carolinas to the Cape Cod of Massachusetts also at risk over the next couple of days.
Rains and winds on the outer edge of the sprawling hurricane.
The bulk of Erin’s rain is expected to remain offshore, but local heavy rainfall and flash flooding is possible. An approaching weather system from the west could bring storms to the New York City area Wednesday afternoon that has some potential to be influenced by Erin and produce localized flooding rain fall.
Even though Erin will be well off shore, the shear large size of the storm will likely send tropical storm force winds (39 miles per hour or higher) into the Outer Banks and gusting tropical winds may also be felt on nearby mid-Atlantic beaches Wednesday into Friday.
Stay out of the ocean.
The Hurricane Center forecasters cautioned against people swimming in the ocean along most the East Coast of the United States as Erin is creating a large swell of water that by Wednesday morning was already creating life-threatening surf and rip currents.
Judson Jones is a meteorologist and reporter for The Times who forecasts and covers extreme weather.
Nazaneen Ghaffar is a Times reporter on the Weather team.
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