Hurricane Erin To Strengthen, Create 'Life-Threatening' Risks Along East Coast

Strong rip currents and high surf conditions caused by Hurricane Erin will pose a threat this week to beach-goers along the East Coast, forecasters warn.

The storm was a Category 4 hurricane on Monday and is expected to bring "life-threatening" conditions to the East Coast, Atlantic Canada, Bermuda and the Bahamas while remaining offshore. These conditions are expected to last through the end of the week.

Despite remaining well offshore, the hurricane is expected to impact New Jersey's beaches by the middle of the week. "These rough ocean conditions will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip currents," the National Hurricane Center said.

Forecasters with AccuWeather predict the Outer Banks in North Carolina will bear the brunt of Erin as the hurricane grows in size and its winds and waves extend beyond the eye of the storm. The storm is expected to pass 150 feet off the North Carolina shore, so while no rain is expected, there could be "significant" impacts along the Outer Banks and beyond.

A State of Emergency has been issued for North Carolina's Dare County, where mandatory evacuation orders are in place for Hatteras Island.

Current location

On Monday morning, Erin was situated near the Turks and Caicos Islands and was expected to bring tropical storm conditions to the Bahamas, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, reached Category 5 status Saturday with maximum winds of 160 mph before weakening to Category 3 on Sunday. The monster storm intensified to a Category 4 with 130 mph maximum sustained winds early Monday.

The hurricane was expected to pass Florida to the east from midday Monday to Tuesday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Predicted Track

Forecasters are confident that Erin will turn northeast and away from the eastern U.S., but it's still expected to churn up dangerous waves and rip currents and could bring tropical force winds to North Carolina's Outer Banks, said Dave Roberts of the National Hurricane Center.

Beachgoers are urged to be cautious and listen to lifeguards. Aside from the rough surf, weather conditions this week will generally be "benign" and cool across the region, according to the National Weather Service.

Here is the predicted track as of Monday afternoon:

Here's the current forecast for the Philadelphia region:

This afternoon: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Northeast wind around 10 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. East wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 81. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.