Erin has arrived — quite dramatically proceeds Atlantic’s first hurricane of 2025. Over the course of Saturday, it took a surprising turn and quickly intensified into a powerful category 5 storm. Erin did briefly attain hurricane intensity, but soon diminished after. Even with this overall decline, it continues to present incredibly dangerous threats to our coastal communities, particularly in the U.S. east coast.
As of Tuesday, Erin was still too dangerous and far out at sea. At that time it was 665 miles southwest of Bermuda and 720 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The storm’s maximum sustained winds were 96 to 110 m.p.h. This rapid intensification made it a category 2 hurricane as it rapidly moved up the east coast.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami have been tracking Erin’s path and strength with eagle eyes. In tandem, forecasters warned of the storm’s waves, as Ophelia generated swells of up to 20 feet (6 meters) or higher. Forecasters have already warned that Erin will rapidly increase in size. This overall increase gives way to more dangerous rip currents on our coasts.
Erin has already accomplished so much on the island. The storm left more than 147,000 utility customers without power. As the storm moves further north, risks shift to coastal flooding along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. This forced local officials to call for evacuations in low-lying communities at risk of storm surge.
Reide Corbett, a coastal expert from Western Carolina University, had no doubt on the severity of damage done.
“We haven’t seen waves of that size in a while and the vulnerable spots have only gotten weaker in the past five years,” – Reide Corbett
Forecasters don’t call Erin a category 3 storm—defined as a “major” storm—yet. With current, sustained winds of 110 mph, it has the potential to bring catastrophic damage should it gain intensity. At this moment, the storm is as powerful as it’s ever been, just shy of being a category 3 storm. This category begins at 111 mph.
Local emergency management officials aren’t waiting to find out what damage Erin might bring. The evacuation measures aim to protect residents and visitors in low-lying areas that are likely to be most affected by flooding and high surf conditions.
Corbett added a stark reminder about the situation facing those in the Outer Banks:
“Water, water everywhere. That really resonates on the Outer Banks,” – Reide Corbett
As Hurricane Erin shapes up, residents and officials locally are keeping an eye on things. The NHC will continue to update as the storm develops, delivering life-saving information to those who may be in the storm’s path. Severe storm surges and high winds are likely. What’s more, eastern seaboard communities need to get ready today for the inevitable.