The storm is getting better, but I’m still afraid. Two counties declared states of emergency over the weekend, and forecasters are predicting of further issues on the East Coast.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) believes that Hurricane Erin is still a big threat, even if it has weakened since it was at its strongest.
Some areas of North Carolina have already declared a state of emergency because of the hurricane. It is also likely to cause a lot of rain and flooding across the Caribbean. It is also a danger on the East Coast of the United States.
On Saturday, August 16, 2025, Storm Erin became a Category 5 storm. But it is still strong over the Atlantic. It is now a Category 3 hurricane.
The NHC said on August 17 that Erin was moving west to northwest at 13 mph (20 km/h) and that the winds stayed at 125 mph (205 km/h).
The storm is expected to grow and get stronger this week before heading north. It will still be a huge hurricane until the middle of the week.
Forecasters stated that Erin’s risks aren’t simply in the middle of the storm. Hurricane winds can go out 50 miles (85 km), but tropical storm winds can go more than 200 miles (335 km). The NHC said that the storm will likely stay “big and dangerous.”
Warnings for heavy rain and tropical storms
A lot of rain is already falling in Erin’s outer bands. Puerto Rico is expected to experience two to four more inches of rain by Monday.
By Tuesday, the Eastern Bahamas, which includes San Salvador Island, Turks and Caicos, and other islands, could experience up to six inches of rain.
The NHC said that this rain might cause mudslides or landslides in the highlands and flash floods in cities.
The Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeast Bahamas are under tropical storm warnings. This is because storms are forecast to hit in the following 24 hours.
Erin’s big wind field is causing rain and flooding in several places. The NHC also says that the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Turks and Caicos all have rough waves. The Bahamas, Bermuda, the East Coast of the US, and Atlantic Canada will all be hit in the next few days.
These waves will probably make the surf and the rip currents dangerous, which means that swimming and surfing will not be safe. There may also be some flooding along the shore in regions where the wind comes from the sea.
What might happen on the East Coast?
Erin shouldn’t have an effect on the US, but its enormity will have an influence on hundreds of miles of shoreline.
Reports predict that North Carolina and Virginia will probably be worst off than Florida and most of the East Coast when it comes to wind and rain.
AccuWeather hurricane analyst Alex DaSilva told Newsweek that “dangerous surf, beach erosion, and coastal flooding” are all likely to happen right now.
“Things could become worse along the Atlantic coast of the United States, though, if Erin’s trajectory continues further west.
He went on to warn that the Outer Banks in North Carolina, Long Island in New York, and Cape Cod in Massachusetts are some of the coastal locations that are most likely to be directly affected.
DaSilva says that Erin hasn’t started to move north yet. The storm will have a stronger effect on the East Coast if it keeps going west before turning.
From Tuesday to Thursday, CBS News reports that Erin could impact the Tri-State area, which includes New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. This is especially true for the Jersey Shore and the South Shore of Long Island.
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The weather in Central New Jersey and the Hudson Valley of New York should be mostly cloudy and breezy, but some outer bands may bring a few showers.
Counties in North Carolina can declare emergencies.
Local governments in coastal North Carolina have developed plans for what to do if the hurricane hits. On August 17, the NHC issued out a warning that made Dare County Emergency Management proclaim a state of emergency for the whole county.
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The directive said that everyone on Hatteras Island had to leave. Tourists had to depart on Monday, August 18, at 10 a.m., while residents had to leave on Tuesday, August 19, at 8 a.m.
County officials believe that the evacuations are required, even if Erin is still out at sea. They believe that the storm’s growing size will have a huge impact on the shore.
“The county said that Hurricane Erin is likely to stay far away from our coast.” “But the system will keep getting bigger, and it will have deadly effects on the Dare County coastline.”
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The Coastal Flood Watch says that some stretches of North Carolina Highway 12 may be closed for days because of coastal flooding. It is likely that waves will break 15 to 20 feet high. These waves can knock down dunes, sweep away beaches, and make roads impassable.
The Hyde County Board of Commissioners also said something like this about Ocracoke Island. People who lived there had to evacuate on Tuesday morning, while tourists had to leave right away because of what happened.
“The system will keep growing and is expected to have life-threatening effects on the Ocracoke coastline and make Highway 12 impassable,” the board stated.
Officials also said that once the island is closed, there might not be any medical supplies on hand in case of an emergency, and waves higher than 20 feet could destroy the dunes around the island. Even though the highways are still accessible, anybody who require medical care should evacuate.
Tropical Storm Chantal in July showed us how quickly things can go wrong on the coast of Carolina. Erin is now a threat at sea.
A tropical storm called Chantal slammed the coast between Wilmington, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina, early on Sunday morning. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) swiftly revised their minds and said it was a tropical depression.
A State of Emergency has been declared for all of Dare County, North Carolina with a MANDATORY evacuation for all of Hatteras Island. Hurricane #Erin will generate large powerful waves of 15-20+ feet and coastal flooding. Parts of Highway 12 may be impassable for several days. pic.twitter.com/anaullH59J
— Collin Gross (@CollinGrossWx) August 18, 2025
When the system impacted land, it made several areas of the Southeast US unsafe.
Chantal was about 65 miles southwest of Raleigh, North Carolina, as of 5 p.m. EDT. The winds stayed at 30 mph. It was traveling north-northeast at 10 mph, and it was forecast to speed up in that direction until Monday.
Because the weather was so poor, there was a tropical storm warning for coastal areas from Surf City, North Carolina, to the South Santee River, South Carolina.
Earlier today, winds at Apache Pier in South Carolina were continuous at 45 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph.
There were inland flash flood watches in force for parts of central North Carolina and south-central Virginia. Some areas may have received up to 6 inches of rain, while most areas only got 2 to 4 inches. These amounts might have produced flooding in some areas, especially in cities and places with low-lying land.
A tornado watch was put up for eastern North Carolina as the storm’s rainbands moved through. The objective was to make people aware that tornadoes can happen in some areas.
There were still severe seas and rip currents along the coast from northeastern Florida to the Mid-Atlantic states. People who lived near the coast and people who were going to the beach were told about this.
As Chantal got closer to shore, weather experts kept an eye on it and encouraged people in impacted areas to pay attention to official warnings and follow emergency measures.
Officials urged people to be ready for activities and evacuations that could last a long time. The United States
The Department of Homeland Security’s official website for preparing ready for emergencies, Ready, encouraged people to first learn about the hazards that are specific to their area.
Officials encouraged people to use the National Risk Index from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to find out what the most likely hazards were in their location. Storms, floods, wildfires, and power outages are all examples of local threats.
Before anything horrible happened, it was essential important to have a clear evacuation plan ready.
This included choosing a few safe spots, such hotels, public shelters, or the homes of friends or family, and working with regional disaster management authorities to find the best and second-best means to get away.
Because most shelters only let service animals in, pet owners made plans ahead of time.
Making a “go-bag” or emergency supply kit was just as important. This pack featured enough food that wouldn’t go bad for a few days, a flashlight, a weather radio that could run on batteries or be powered by hand, spare batteries, a first aid kit, hygiene items, and at least one gallon of water for each person every day.
You also needed cash, critical papers, face masks, a manual can opener, and baby, elderly, or pet supplies, if you had any. You also needed prescription medicines, a phone charger, and a backup battery.
Everyone in the house should know where these goods are and keep them in durable, portable boxes.
Ready also said that individuals should keep a few kits at home, in their cars, and at work so they can get to them quickly in case of an emergency.
People should fill up their tanks before they leave because gas outlets can close or lose electricity in an emergency.
Homeowners should only cut off utilities, lock doors and windows, and unplug appliances when they are advised to.
People went early when officials instructed them to so they wouldn’t get stuck in traffic or water. People who couldn’t go about made plans with their neighbors or the local administration ahead of time.
Ready instructed residents to lock their doors, grab their go-bags, and only use routes they were familiar with when they had to leave. There may not be any more easy ways.
You need to know what’s going on. You can download the FEMA app to your phone. It lets you know about open shelter spaces, hazards, and notifications right away.
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People should also utilize a battery-powered radio to acquire emergency information, according to officials. People who live there should leave a letter for the people at home and, if they can, tell someone who lives in another state where they are going.
People were urged to only go back home after the evacuation if local officials confirmed it was safe to do so. This was especially true for folks who had already evacuated before the storm.
According to federal laws, communities that have been damaged may still be at risk for power outages, service interruptions, and dangerous things like downed power lines or storm debris.
People who are in charge of being ready for catastrophes say that making plans ahead of time makes things safer and less crazy when calamities come.