Hurricane Erin Threatens North Carolina's Outer Banks with High Surf and Winds

MIAMI -- Hurricane Erin has begun to affect parts of the Caribbean with heavy rain and strong winds as it moves towards the U.S. East Coast, where it is expected to create hazardous surf and rip currents this week. Authorities have initiated evacuation orders for certain islands along North Carolina's Outer Banks, despite the storm's unlikely direct impact on land.

The hurricane intensified to a Category 4 storm, featuring maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) as it approached the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Although forecasters anticipate that Erin will veer northeast away from the eastern United States, it is still expected to generate dangerous waves and rip currents, and could bring tropical storm-force winds to the North Carolina coast, noted a representative from the hurricane center.

Evacuations began on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island on Monday, coinciding with the peak tourist season on these low-lying barrier islands in the Atlantic. Coastal flooding is expected to start on Tuesday and persist through Thursday, with warnings issued regarding possible inundation of roads due to waves reaching heights of 15 feet (4.6 meters). Officials have expressed concerns that prolonged exposure to heavy surf and high winds could lead to the deterioration of the main highway traversing the barrier islands, making some routes impassable for an extended period.

Despite the looming threat, local residents on Hatteras Island reported a sense of calm, with one supermarket co-owner commenting on the beautiful weather making it hard to believe a hurricane was approaching. Erin, which reached Category 5 status over the weekend with winds up to 160 mph (260 kph), has since weakened but is expected to maintain its strength as a major hurricane through midweek.

As of early Monday, the storm was located approximately 110 miles (180 kilometers) north of Grand Turk Island and about 880 miles (1,400 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The outer bands of Erin have already affected parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rain and tropical-storm winds.

Scientists have indicated a correlation between the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic and climate change, suggesting that global warming is increasing the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere and elevating ocean temperatures, which in turn provide hurricanes with additional energy to strengthen and produce more rainfall.