Not much has changed in the forecast as Hurricane Erin rolls toward the eastern North Carolina coast.
The National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City said the Outer Banks is still expected to bear the brunt of Hurricane Erin, which is not expected to make landfall but is forecast to induce high waves, dangerous rip currents, beach erosion, and coastal flooding.
Science and Operations Officer Ryan Ellis said some of the impacts area already being felt in eastern North Carolina, but Erin will really make her presence known tomorrow.
“The waves will continually be picking up," he said. "By Thursday morning. We expect that to really be the peak of it, into Thursday afternoon.”
Storm surge of three feet or higher is expected in the Outer Banks and the impact is expected to last a while, including the likelihood that N.C. 12 will be impassable for several days. Up to three feet of storm surge is possible for North Topsail Beach, and two to three feet is expected at the Crystal Coast. And Ellis said, "In some of those areas of Down East, Carteret County, up the Neuse River, maybe some of those places along the Bogue Banks, you might see one to three.” He added that areas further to the west will see lower inundation that those more to the east.
The weather service described the waves expected as Hurricane Erin approaches as “large, powerful, and life-threatening" and Ellis said they could be up to 20 feet high. Areas on the oceanside are expected to see the highest water Wednesday through Friday, and the high waves are forecast to cause severe beach and coastal damage. Soundside areas can expect to see the highest water levels Thursday.
Beaches along the North Carolina coast are flying red flags, advising people not to swim or surf because of dangerous rip currents. Some are flying double red flags, which mean the ocean is closed for swimming and people can be fined or arrested for entering the water.
Although the forecast for Erin has stayed pretty consistent, Ellis said people across eastern North Carolina should still have a way to keep up with storm predictions going forward. “Keep updated with the forecast. The forecast is always changing," he said, "We're going to keep providing those updates as they come out from the Hurricane Center and what that means for our local area here.”
