Hurricane Erin pounds the North Carolina coast as it moves away

Our live coverage of Hurricane Erin has ended. Read the latest on the storm here.

As Hurricane Erin continues to move further away from the East Coast, some parts of coastal North Carolina are dealing with minor flooding and erosion as a result of the storm.

Strong waves on Wednesday and throughout the overnight hours left some roadways covered in water as waves crashed along the shore.

Electrical crews in Ocracoke drove along flooded roadways Thursday morning to perform inspections. “We came through the night without any loss of power to Ocracoke,” the Tideland Electric Membership Corporation said in a post on Facebook.

Electrical crews drive along flooded roadways on Ocracoke Island

00:14 • Source: CNN

Electrical crews drive along flooded roadways on Ocracoke Island

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A shelf of sand formed in some areas near the shoreline in Wrightsville Beach, a victim of erosion from the angry ocean.

Beach erosion along North Carolina coast

00:27 • Source: CNN

Beach erosion along North Carolina coast

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And some people took advantage of the roiling water by skim boarding and surfing the strong waves lingering on the Outer Banks.

Strong waves remain in Outer Banks, NC

00:23 • Source: CNN

Strong waves remain in Outer Banks, NC

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Hurricane Erin on Thursday morning.

Erin remains a sprawling Category 2 hurricane, with sustained winds of 100 mph as of the National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. ET update. The hurricane’s winds dropped from 105 mph to 100 mph in the last few hours.

The hurricane is moving to the north-northeast at 18 mph and its center is about 260 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Erin is forecast to slowly lose some steam today as it accelerates to the northeast and moves farther from the US East Coast.

Erin’s wind field – how far its tropical storm-force winds reach – is huge. Its winds reach nearly 575 miles from end to end, making Erin larger than 90% of tropical systems that have roamed the same part of the Atlantic at a similar strength, according to the NHC.

A person walks near the beach as large waves from Hurricane Erin keep swimmers away on in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on Thursday.

Rip currents are strong channels of water that flow away from the shore, often forming at breaks in sandbars and close to structures like piers. Tropical systems also cause them as they stir up the ocean.

There’s a high risk of rip currents along much of the East Coast today and tomorrow thanks to Erin. Here’s what to watch for, according to the United States Lifesaving Association:

Rip currents on average move between 1 to 2 feet per second but some have been measured as fast as 8 feet per second — faster than an Olympic swimmer, according to The National Weather Service.

If you do get caught in one, stay calm, and try to yell and wave for help. Rip currents don’t pull you underwater but do sweep you farther from shore.

Don’t try to swim against the current. Instead, try to escape by “swimming out of the current in a direction following the shoreline,” the USLA says, or by floating or treading water to ride it out.

A man stands at the end of Jennette's Pier as waves from Hurricane Erin crash ashore in Nags Head, North Carolina, on Thursday.

North Carolina’s Outer Banks are bearing the brunt of Erin’s worst impacts on US soil, but the rest of the East Coast isn’t getting away clean.

A myriad of marine warnings from the National Weather Service stretch along almost the entire coast from Florida to Maine today as the massive hurricane roughs up seas hundreds of miles from its center.

Tropical storm warnings are still in effect in parts of Virginia and Maryland, where Erin sent some tropical storm-force wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph this morning.

As it moves farther north today, the hurricane will ramp up coastal flooding risks for other parts of the mid-Atlantic as well as the Northeast by driving water levels higher than they should be, especially at high tide.

Crews work at the scene where trees and power lines went down as the effects from Hurricane Erin in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, on Thursday.

For example: Moderate coastal flooding is possible in much of New Jersey from later today through Friday, while some parts of far southern New Jersey and southern Delaware could experience major coastal flooding, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

The rip current risk also remains high today and tomorrow for most of the East Coast. An elevated risk of these life-threatening conditions will likely persist at least through the weekend.

A buoy in the Atlantic around 150 miles from North Carolina’s Outer Banks proved just how lucky the East Coast is that Hurricane Erin didn’t make landfall.

Erin tracked right over the buoy Thursday morning and it reported wind gusts up to 85 mph and waves that averaged nearly 40 feet.

Individual waves were likely much higher, and the highest could have been twice as high, or up to 80 feet, according to the National Weather Service.

Still images from DriveNC.gov traffic cameras show water standing on NC-12 after it flowed over the protective dunes on Thursday.

North Carolina Highway 12, the main road along the Outer Banks, remains closed Thursday morning as sand, water and debris cover sections of the roadway after Erin made its closest pass along North Carolina’s coast overnight.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) reports the following impacts:

As Hurricane Erin begins to move away from the Outer Banks, NCDOT crews will be working to clear what they can off the roadway, but there’s no estimate on when the highway will be able to reopen.

Evacuation orders remain in place on Hatteras, Ocracoke, and in Corolla, as this evening’s high tide will be “especially impactful,” according to North Carolina Emergency Management and NCDOT.

Hurricane Erin stretches over a huge portion of the Atlantic Ocean Thursday morning.

Erin’s sustained winds remained steady at 105 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. ET update. The hurricane is moving to the north-northeast at 17 mph and its center is about 200 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Erin is forecast to maintain its strength through this afternoon before slowly starting to lose some steam later today as it accelerates to the northeast and moves farther from the US East Coast.

The hurricane is huge: Its tropical storm-force winds extend 320 miles from its center.

Erin is slowly moving away from the North Carolina coast this morning after making its closest pass overnight, but its threats aren’t over. The hurricane’s wide-reaching winds are still churning up the Atlantic, sending large waves to the coast and driving up water levels during the highest tides of the month.

Waves reached nearly 20 feet high earlier this morning not far off the coast of the Outer Banks’ Cape Hatteras as wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph hit much of the region.

A water-monitoring station near Cape Hatteras captured rising water levels and minor flooding at high tide this morning, which occurred this hour. The water level there was at 2.36 feet and still climbing, which is nearly triple the height it was at high tide yesterday morning. Water levels farther north near Duck were well into minor flood stage and flirted with moderate flood stage at high tide this morning.

The area’s worst coastal flooding will not arrive for some shores until this evening’s high tide cycle, according to the National Weather Service in Morehead City, North Carolina, meaning Erin’s impacts will peak, but not end today.

“Significant impacts could linger into Friday due to lingering powerful swell energy and elevated tides/water levels,” the NWS warned.

An image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Erin at about 1 a.m. ET.

Hurricane Erin remains a Category 2 storm, roving northeast parallel to the East Coast.

While it’s not expected to make landfall, the storm is bringing high seawater levels that could significantly flood coastal areas at high tide — which is forecast between 6-7 a.m. Thursday, just after the National Hurricane Center reported Erin was starting to move away from North Carolina’s coast.

Here’s what to know:

Hurricane Erin is “just beginning to move away from the North Carolina coast,” the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. ET update.

The sprawling Category 2 hurricane continues to track north-northeast and was just over 200 miles east-southeast from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, as of early Thursday.

A file photo shows the cruise ship Majestic Princess docked in Sydney, Australia, on November 12, 2022.

Cruise passengers are facing frustrations over disruptions caused by Hurricane Erin, but are relieved to avoid the storm’s path.

Jennifer Chomiak, a Maryland resident on her first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas, experienced a last-minute change. The ship, which left Baltimore on Thursday, had been set to dock in Bermuda but instead rerouted to Port Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday, CNN affiliate WBAL reported.

For some passengers, safety took precedence over plans.

Other cruise lines, such as Princess Cruises, are among the companies rerouting ships to avoid Hurricane Erin’s path as it moves through the Atlantic.

Princess Cruises told CNN about the major changes to four of its routes:

Strong waves caused by Hurricane Erin crashed onto the shore and flooded the Cape Hatteras Motel in Buxton, North Carolina, on Wednesday, video from the motel verified by Reuters shows.

Buxton, on Hatteras Island, is in Dare Country, which was under a mandatory evacuation order on Wednesday afternoon.

Waves triggered by Hurricane Erin flood motel on Hatteras Island, North Carolina

00:47 • Source: CNN

Waves triggered by Hurricane Erin flood motel on Hatteras Island, North Carolina

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A satellite image shows Hurricane Erin over the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday.

Erin remains a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, a slight downtick from late Wednesday, but the reach of its powerful winds expanded overnight.

Tropical-storm-force winds now extend up to 320 miles from the hurricane’s center, up from 265 miles as of late Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical storm conditions have now reached parts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks and “will spread northward along the Virginia coastline” Thursday morning, the NHC said.

Erin was just over 200 miles east-southeast from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, as of 5 a.m. ET Thursday. The hurricane was “just beginning to move away from the North Carolina coast,” the NHC said.

The massive hurricane is roving north, roughly tracking alongside the US East Coast, much of which is under threat of deadly rip currents and dangerous surf conditions.

The hurricane is expected to weaken in the coming days and become post-tropical Saturday, the NHC said.

Erin’s strength has ebbed and flowed since undergoing one of the fastest intensifications ever seen in a hurricane at the end of last week.

People look at the waves during sunset in Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks, North Carolina, on Wednesday.

Hurricane Erin is driving rising seawater levels near the northern Outer Banks, with wave heights steadily climbing offshore from Duck, North Carolina.

A wave buoy two miles off the coast recorded waves growing from 5 to 6 feet Wednesday afternoon to 7 to 8 feet early Thursday morning, Andrew Zimmerman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wakefield, Virginia, told CNN. Waves are expected to peak Thursday, potentially reaching 12 feet near shore and 15 to 18 feet farther out, Zimmerman said.

In Currituck County, North Carolina, which is near Duck, officials declared a local state of emergency Wednesday morning and ordered a mandatory evacuation of Corolla’s Off-Road Area – a stretch of remote beach accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Double red flags were posted on all beaches, prohibiting people from getting in the water.

The National Weather Service has also warned of significant coastal flooding through Friday, according to the county. Beach and dune erosion is also likely, the county said.

Three women walk the beach with 'No Swimming' flags at Nags Head, North Carolina, on Wednesday.

Beaches up and down the East Coast are closing or restricting swimming as Hurricane Erin churns up large waves and threatens rip currents.

Evacuation orders are in place in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina, where Erin is whipping up the worst of its destructive waves and storm surge.

Here is a look at other beaches shuttered by the storm during the busy summer season:

New York: Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered all Long Island ocean beaches to suspend swimming through Thursday. And in New York City, swimming and wading was banned at all beaches through Thursday.

New Jersey: Several beaches along the famed Jersey Shore have posted restrictions on swimming, surfing and boogie boarding, according to NJ.com. “As Hurricane Erin passes by the Shore, we urge everyone to avoid swimming and wading in the ocean,” Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday.

Delaware: Rehoboth Beach, a popular destination on the Delaware coast, posted a double red flag hazard, meaning swimming is not permitted until the storm passes.

Massachusetts: Gov. Maura Healey’s office warned coastal areas of the state could see dangerous high surf through Friday and urged beachgoers to stay out of the water at state-run beaches where double red flags have been posted.

Virginia and Maryland: All oceanside beaches on Assateague Island, which stretches across the border between Maryland and Virginia, are closed due to hazards from Erin, the National Park Service said. In Ocean City, Maryland, swimmers are banned from the water, CNN affiliate WBFF reported.

A lifeguard keeps watch along the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia Beach, Virginia. on Wednesday.

Dangerous conditions from Hurricane Erin will shut down competition at an annual surf championship in Virginia Beach on Thursday, but that hasn’t dampened the spirits of surfers, who are drooling over the uncharacteristically good waves the storm is churning up for the weeklong event.

“This is the best I’ve seen, even from the 80s I haven’t seen it this good,” one veteran surfer said in a video posted on the Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships’ Facebook page Wednesday. Younger surfers rave that the waves are “insane” and “absolutely nuts.”

Competition events were still held Wednesday, despite stormy conditions forcing crews to take down some of the infrastructure set up for the championships, CNN affiliate WVEC reported.

The championships will be “full speed ahead” again from Friday through Sunday, the organizers said. And surfers said they were ready.

A ferry boat coming from Block Island, Rhode Island, was seen rocking in the waves as Hurricane Erin’s swells impacted the area on Wednesday.

“It was very busy around the dock because people heard that the ferries might be canceled for two days and some were scrambling to get off the island,” Judy O’Keefe, who filmed the boat from Old Harbor, Rhode Island, told CNN.

Hurricane Erin rocks Ferry boat in Rhode Island

00:36 • Source: CNN

Hurricane Erin rocks Ferry boat in Rhode Island

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Dominion Energy, which supplies power to parts of Virginia and the Carolinas, said it has crews staged along the coast to quickly respond to any power outages caused by Hurricane Erin.

Several hundred workers, along with bucket trucks, have been deployed, the company said in a statement.

There are only a few hundred power outages across North Carolina and Virginia as of late Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us.

Powerful winds pushed sea waves above the coastline in Buxton, North Carolina, this evening as the town experienced a substantial high tide due to Hurricane Erin.

The waves forcefully brushed up under the decks and onto a few houses along the Lighthouse View Oceanfront Lodging in the state’s Outer Banks.

The high tide occurred around 6:10 p.m. and the next one is anticipated between 6 and 7 a.m. tomorrow.

High tide hits Buxton, North Carolina as Hurricane Erin passes

01:33 • Source: CNN

High tide hits Buxton, North Carolina as Hurricane Erin passes

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