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Hurricane
Erin
Batters
East
Coast
with
Dangerous
Surf and
Evacuations
OUTER
BANKS,
NC -
Hurricane
Erin,
now a
powerful
Category
2 storm,
is
churning
off the
U.S.
East
Coast,
unleashing
destructive
waves,
flooding,
and high
winds
across
North
Carolina’s
Outer
Banks.
Though
the
storm is
not
expected
to make
landfall,
its
outer
bands
have
already
caused
significant
coastal
damage
and
prompted
widespread
evacuations.
Coastal
Impact
and
Evacuations
- More
than
2,000
residents
and
visitors
were
evacuated
from
Ocracoke
Island
by ferry
as
Highway
12
flooded
and
became
impassable.
-
Currituck
County
issued a
mandatory
evacuation
for the
off-road
area of
Corolla,
warning
that
beach
access
roads
will be
submerged
by
Thursday
afternoon.
-
Virginia
Beach
and
other
coastal
towns
are
bracing
for
tidal
flooding,
with
emergency
shelters
and
parking
garages
opened
for
residents
seeking
higher
ground.
Surf and
Flooding
Threats
- Waves
up to 20
feet are
forecast
from
Florida
to
Massachusetts,
with
high
surf
advisories
in
effect
across
the
region.
-
Popular
beaches
like
Rehoboth
Beach,
Wildwood,
and
parts of
New York
City
have
banned
swimming
due to
life-threatening
rip
currents.
-
Officials
report
extensive
beach
erosion
and
ocean
overwash,
with
water
surging
beneath
stilted
homes
and
across
major
roadways.
Storm
Behavior
and
Forecast
- Erin
underwent
an
eyewall
replacement
cycle
earlier
this
week,
temporarily
weakening
before
regaining
strength.
- The
hurricane
is
expected
to peak
in
intensity
Thursday
before
veering
out to
sea,
though
it may
still
regain
major
hurricane
status
(Category
3+).
-
Tropical
storm
warnings
remain
in
effect
for
parts of
North
Carolina
and
Virginia,
with
sustained
winds
nearing
110 mph.
Safety
Measures
Authorities
urge
residents
to stay
informed
through
local
alerts
and
avoid
coastal
areas
until
conditions
improve.
“To
folks on
the
coast,
now is
the time
to
prepare,”
warned
North
Carolina
Governor
Josh
Stein.
If you’d
like a
breakdown
of how
this
compares
to past
hurricanes
or want
help
drafting
a public
safety
message
or
social
media
update,
I can
help
with
that
too.
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