Atlantic Coastline Still Under the Gun for Hurricane Erin's Impacts

Despite being well out to sea and moving away from the U.S., Hurricane Erin will continue to present hazards along the Atlantic Coast in the form of rough seas, dangerous surf, and powerful rip currents.

Dangerous Seas to Persist Along East Coast Into the Weekend

Swimmers and boaters hoping to enjoy one of the last weekends of the summer season will be met with the potential of hazardous conditions along much of the East Coast in the days ahead. Hurricane Erin is turning to the northeast and will spend the next few days speeding away from the U.S. coastline. However, the high winds circulating around the eye of the former Category 5 hurricane will continue to produce large waves that lead to dangerous surf conditions well into the weekend.

The core of Erin inched as close as 200 miles from the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Thursday morning. As of the end of the day Thursday, Erin was still a Category 2 storm packing maximum sustained winds of about 100 mph. Because of Erin's massive wind field, the tropical-storm-force winds extended over 300 miles from the center of the storm. This put parts of the U.S. coastline in the impact zone for the tropical storm conditions.

Erin will continue on its track to the northeast, forecast to pass about 300 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Gusts near 40 mph whipped around near the upper mid-Atlantic coast on Thursday, creating large ocean swells that hit the coastline as powerful breakers.

Forecasters have been warning beachgoers about the dangers of rip currents all week. Rip currents are naturally more prevalent during times of high wave action.

Although Erin will be moving farther away from the U.S. in the hours to come, it takes time for the swells in place to dissipate. This means that the large breaks and dangerous rip currents will persist up and down the Atlantic coast through the weekend. Just because the weather is calm and sunny, it does not mean that hazards could be lurking in the ocean water.

The conditions at the beach are expected to improve south to north throughout the weekend. For instance, Florida will enjoy calmer ocean water earlier in the weekend when compared to the beaches to the north in New England.

The storm surge generated by Erin will stick around through Friday. A surge of about 3 feet is likely for the Outer Banks of North Carolina and up into the southeast corner of Virginia. Waves could hit heights as high as 10 to 20 feet in the primary surf zone.

The Outer Banks suffered the worst of the impacts from Erin. Some roads in the community are still underwater or littered with sand. Local officials said it could take several days before some of the roads are open.

Storm surge hit the area from the Delmarva Peninsula and up into the southern edge of New Jersey on Thursday, particulary during the time of high tide. Some of the noticeable surges crept as far north as the coastal areas located near New York City. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy preemptively declared a State of Emergency effective on Thursday afternoon.

By Friday, the storm surge and high waves are predicted to reach southeastern Massachusetts. Winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 mph are possible for coastal communities such as Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Vacationers squeezing out one last bit of summer fun at these popular resort locations will want to be prepared for the threat of power outages, rip currents, and rough surf conditions.