When will Hurricane Erin impact NC? Here’s a timeline & latest forecast
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Hurricane Erin weakened to 110 mph winds but may grow larger this week.
- Coastal NC faces threats of flooding and rip currents.
- Storm surge and tropical storm watches remain active for much of NC coast.
Update: Find our latest forecast story here. See photos of the damage here.
As Hurricane Erin continues along its forecasted path, meteorologists said it could become larger, and its strength could fluctuate.
By 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, it had maximum sustained winds near 110 mph. That’s a decrease in strength from around 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18, when the storm was Category 4, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. And it continues a trend for this storm, which rapidly strengthened from a Category 3 to Category 5 storm over the weekend.
Erin was about 720 miles away from Cape Hatteras and about 665 miles from Bermuda on Tuesday morning, moving toward the northwest near 7 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Meteorologists expected it to turn toward the north-northwest and increase in speed Tuesday, before moving northward Wednesday, Aug. 20 and then northeastward Thursday, Aug. 21.
The storm will likely move over the Atlantic between the East Coast and Bermuda on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency for North Carolina, as Hurricane Erin is expected to approach the coast in coming days.
“North Carolinians along the coast should get prepared now, ensure their emergency kit is ready, and listen to local emergency guidelines and alerts in the event they need to evacuate,” Stein said in a news release.
Rip currents, coastal flooding expected along NC coast
While Erin will likely stay hundreds of miles away from North Carolina’s coast, meteorologists warn that dangerous conditions will occur along the coast. Hurricane-force winds extend up to 80 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds up to 205 miles.
Heavy rainfall is possible on the Outer Banks on Wednesday night, Aug. 20, into Thursday, Aug. 21, the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning. A local maximum of 4 inches of rain is possible.
Life-threatening surf and rip currents are also expected along the East Coast this week.
Officials from Dare and Hyde counties on Sunday, Aug. 17 ordered mandatory evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, as breaking waves of 15 to 20 feet or more in the surf zone were expected.
The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Newport/Morehead City said Tuesday morning that coastal flooding could begin as early as that afternoon. Highway 12 and other roads along the Outer Banks, especially on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, could be impassable or inaccessible for several days.
Areas around North Topsail Beach could see between 2 and 3 feet of inundation, and areas around Crystal Coast could see between 1 and 2 feet.
Beach erosion is likely, as waves as high as 20 or more feet are expected in the surf zone, the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Newport/Morehead City said.
Coastal flooding and ocean overwash could begin as early as late Tuesday, peaking late Wednesday into Thursday.
A storm surge watch was in effect for oceanside areas along the Outer Banks as of Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service also issued a tropical storm watch for most of coastal North Carolina.
National Hurricane Center tracking disturbances
Erin is the fifth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. The next named storm would be Fernand.
The National Hurricane Center is following two disturbances in the Atlantic.
- One tropical wave over the central tropical Atlantic is producing a broad area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms, and a tropical depression could form toward the end of this week or this weekend. It is expected to move westward to west-northwestward at 20 mph.
- There’s another tropical wave hundreds of miles to the southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands. The National Hurricane Center said conditions are favorable for development over the next couple of days, as it moves westward around 15 mph. However, toward the end of the week, development could be stifled if the system encounters a less favorable environment.
This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 9:19 AM.
