Ocracoke And Hatteras Evacuated: Erin Expected To Bring 20' Waves, Flooding And Erosion

Hurricane Erin, still a Category 3 storm, is churning east of the Bahamas as of Tuesday morning. Though the storm is days away from passing offshore the Eastern Seaboard, North Carolina’s Outer Banks are bracing for serious impacts in the coming days.

The storm will pass just over 200 miles offshore on Thursday, but the storm’s expanding wind and wave field means starting late Tuesday — but especially Wednesday and Thursday — coastal flooding, dangerous surf, ocean overwash and beach erosion can be expected in the area.

Evacuation orders are in place for Dare and Hyde counties — including Ocracoke and Hatteras islands. For residents of these islands, evacuation orders begin at 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Tuesday, respectively, in anticipation that North Carolina Highway 12, which links the islands of the Outer Banks — may become impassable during the high tide just after 5 p.m. The storm will make its closest approach late Wednesday through Thursday, coinciding with high tide cycles.

Waves of 15 to 25 feet and tropical storm-force winds are predicted to pound the North Carolina coastline, where tropical storm watches are in place. This comes after dozens of rip current rescues were carried out along the Carolina coastline on Monday — a risk that will expand and intensify along the East Coast on Tuesday and Wednesday as Erin lurches northward.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/08/19/hurricane-erin-north-carolina-coastal-flooding/