Hurricane Erin made impact on NC before heading north. What we know about damage
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- Hurricane Erin brings flooding, evacuations and surf warnings to NC coast.
- Waters cover roads like NC-12, and beach erosion is possible.
- Local and statewide emergency declarations were issued as Erin neared the Outer Banks.
Hurricane Erin continued its path moving away from North Carolina on Thursday, Aug. 21, and began crawling its way north.
As of 8 p.m. Thursday, the storm was about 420 miles east-northeast of Cape Hatteras, moving toward the northeast at 20 mph. Erin has maximum sustained winds near 100 mph, with higher gusts.
But storm surge flooding and tropical storm conditions were expected along the Outer Banks on Thursday, and the National Hurricane Center is warning that life-threatening surf and rip currents will continue over the next several days.
A storm surge warning was still in effect for the Outer Banks, from Cape Lookout to Duck, as of 8 p.m. Thursday. Meteorologists predicted 3 feet or greater of inundation above normally dry ground oceanside. Floodwaters were expected to make roads, including N.C. 12, impassable.
The highest water levels oceanside are expected to coincide with Thursday evening’s high tide, around 7 p.m.
A tropical storm warning was also in effect for part of the North Carolina coast, but by 8 p.m. Thursday, it was discontinued for areas from Chincoteague, Virginia, to Duck, the National Hurricane Center said.
Dare County emergency officials are urging people to stay out of the water and exercise caution along the shore.
It’s expected to make a faster northeastward to east-northeastward turn over the next couple of days. Erin is forecast to weaken gradually and become post-tropical Saturday, Aug. 23. By then, its track is expected to be near Canada.
Erin impact on NC coast
The impacts of Erin were seen at the coast as the hurricane neared North Carolina.
On Tuesday, Aug. 19, ocean water was already covering a part of N.C. 12 near Buxton on Hatteras Island.
Parts of N.C. 12 were closed as Thursday, as sand and sea covered the road in several places, The News & Observer reported. Later in the day, the N.C. Department of Transportation said N.C. 12 would remain closed south of the Basnight Bridge to Hatteras Village and on the north end of Ocracoke Island.
More overwash was expected Thursday night during high tide and Friday morning.
No pavement damage had been reported, as of Thursday night, the NCDOT said.
“If that remains the case, it will make the reopening process quicker,” NCDOT said on Facebook.
But flooded roads aren’t the only concern. Dangerous waves as high as 15 to 20 feet in the surf zone were expected, leading to beach erosion.
The National Hurricane Center said Thursday morning that a station in Nags Head measured a sustained wind of 45 mph and a gust to 54 mph. Tropical storm-force winds were expected to continue throughout the morning on the Outer Banks, according to the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Newport/Morehead City.
Local states of emergency were declared in Dare, Currituck and Hyde counties — along with a statewide state of emergency — and evacuation orders were issued for Ocracoke and Hatteras islands.
The Outer Banks wild horses were not evacuated.
The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, based in Surf City, posted in a social media update on Wednesday, Aug. 20, that high tides are a threat for the remaining 45-50 nests the volunteer group monitors. While the eggs can withstand some ocean overwash, they usually can’t survive if they are underwater for a sustained period of time.
This year, there were 90 nests across North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach, according to the rescue.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 9:29 AM with the headline "Hurricane Erin made impact on NC before heading north. What we know about damage."
