Category 2 Hurricane Erin Forces East Coast Beach Closures, North Carolina Evacuations

Hurricane Erin, a Category 2 storm with sustained winds around 100-110 mph, is moving northward off the U.S. East Coast, causing widespread beach closures from Florida to New England due to life-threatening rip currents, high surf, and strong winds. While the storm is expected to remain offshore, its large wind field stretching up to 265 miles from its center is generating dangerous conditions along the coast, prompting mandatory evacuations in parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks and state of emergency declarations. Forecasters anticipate that Erin could briefly re-strengthen into a major hurricane before weakening later this week as it moves northeast towards Bermuda and into the North Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center has issued tropical storm warnings and watches for coastal waters from North Carolina to Virginia, with significant impacts expected including flooding, heavy rainfall, and storm surges up to 15 feet in vulnerable areas. Additionally, a separate tropical wave near the Leeward Islands has a 60% chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm by the weekend but is not expected to threaten the U.S. coastline. Residents are urged to heed local advisories and avoid swimming due to dangerous surf and rip currents as the storm passes.