Hurricane Erin Triggers Evacuations on North Carolina's Outer Banks
Massive waves, evacuations hit NC coast
Hurricane Erin, a formidable Category 4 storm, has prompted mandatory evacuations across parts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, disrupting vacations during the peak tourist season. Despite forecasts indicating the storm will stay offshore, its massive reach is expected to unleash dangerous rip currents, towering waves, and coastal flooding along the vulnerable barrier islands.
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island, where tourists and residents faced long queues at Ocracoke’s ferry dock—the only exit route besides air travel. Seth Brotherton, a visitor from Catfish, North Carolina, lamented cutting his weeklong fishing trip short after just two days, stating, “We definitely thought twice, but they said ‘mandatory,’ and that pretty much means, ‘get out of here.’”
Dare County declared a state of emergency, with evacuations for Hatteras Island starting Monday, August 18, for visitors and Tuesday, August 19, for residents. Hyde County followed suit for Ocracoke, citing the risk of impassable roads due to flooding. The National Weather Service warned that N.C. Highway 12, the main artery connecting these islands, could be washed out for days by waves reaching up to 15-20 feet (4.6-6.1 meters).
Also Read: Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf, Rip Currents
Coastal flooding is expected to begin Tuesday evening and persist through Thursday, with storm surge watches issued for areas from Cape Lookout to Duck, including Pamlico Sound. At Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington, lifeguards reported rescuing at least 60 swimmers from rip currents on Monday alone, underscoring the storm’s far-reaching hazards.
As of Monday night, August 18, 2025, Hurricane Erin was located approximately 1,110 kilometers (695 miles) southwest of Bermuda and 1,255 kilometers (805 miles) southeast of Cape Hatteras, with sustained winds of 200 kph (125 mph). The storm had peaked as a Category 5 hurricane on Saturday with winds of 260 kph (160 mph), marking one of the fastest intensifications in Atlantic history, before slightly weakening.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) predict Erin will remain a major hurricane—Category 3 or higher—through midweek, with its wind field expanding to 230 miles from its center. While the storm is expected to curve northeast, avoiding direct U.S. landfall, its size ensures significant coastal impacts, including tropical storm-force winds and life-threatening rip currents from Florida to Maine.
Erin’s outer bands have already battered the Caribbean, with heavy rain and tropical storm winds affecting Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Sunday, causing power outages for thousands. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, government officials suspended services on three islands and urged residents to stay indoors. The southeast Bahamas also faced tropical storm conditions, with rainfall of 2-6 inches expected through Tuesday.
Bermuda is bracing for severe impacts by Thursday evening, with potential wave heights of 7.3 meters (24 feet). Authorities there have warned against water activities, emphasizing the extreme danger to surfers, swimmers, and boaters.
The storm’s rapid intensification, fueled by exceptionally warm ocean waters, has been linked to climate change, which enhances hurricanes’ ability to strengthen quickly and produce heavier rainfall. On Ocracoke, memories of Hurricane Dorian’s devastating 2019 impact linger. Local grocer Tommy Hutcherson expressed cautious optimism, noting, “I felt the same way about Dorian, and we really got smacked.”
Some residents, like Hatteras Island photographer Daniel Pullen, are opting to stay despite the risks, fearing prolonged isolation if Highway 12 becomes impassable. “It’s like Russian roulette,” Pullen said, weighing the cost of evacuation against potential weeks-long stranding.
The NHC and local officials urge residents and visitors to heed warnings, avoid swimming, and monitor updates via trusted sources like LoveTheBeachRespectTheOcean.com for daily beach condition reports. With Erin’s impacts expected to peak Wednesday and Thursday, the Outer Banks faces a critical period of preparation to mitigate damage to its fragile infrastructure.
