Hurricane Irene suddenly trajectorized Wednesday, with a second-class wind running toward the U.S. east coast, causing beach closures and a state of emergency was declared in North Carolina.
130 mph winds and rumbled rain hit the Caribbean and left tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans without electricity, fearing Erin would hit the United States this week as a Category 2 hurricane. By noon, the storm is approaching the 3 categories.
In a consultation Wednesday morning, Miami’s National Hurricane Center confirmed that the storm is unlikely to land us after tilting northwest towards open water.
But coastal countries including Florida, New York, North Carolina and Virginia are prohibited for swimming for “most” beaches.
A red flag was raised on the beach of the North Carolina duck on Tuesday, indicating that swimming was prohibited. Hurricane Irene suddenly shifted its tracks as Category 2 winds ran toward the east coast of the United States, causing beach closure, declared a state of emergency in Tar Heels (AP)
Storm surge flooding and tropical storm conditions are an external riparian area of North Carolina, forcing Gov. Josh Stein to declare a state of emergency. “Now, I want to emphasize the importance of taking this storm seriously because it is a serious storm and the situation may deteriorate quickly,” Stan said.
Lifeguards in North Carolina, North Carolina, conducted more than 75 rescues Monday from RIP currents on the Wrightsville area coastline Wilmington Star News.
Stan said mandatory evacuations were ordered on the outer bank of Hartlas and Okracock Island before the expected flooding, adding that with the large swelling, the 4-foot-high waves are expected to spill over the sea wall, leaving some roads “unpassable”.
The governor said: “Turn around and don’t drown.”
National Hurricane Center illustrates the expected roads for Hurricane Irene the rest of the week (National Hurricane Center)
According to NOAA National Hurricane Center, storm surges will be accompanied by large waves, some as high as 20 feet, which may be the possibility of flooding.
NOAA added that tropical storm conditions along the Virginia coast are expected to occur on Thursday in parts of the central U.S. and southern New England coastal areas, with tropical storm gusts likely occur Thursday to early Friday.
Although the East Coast has kept the full force of the hurricane so far, the NHC has issued a warning blizzard, including “life-threatening surfing and tearing currents” throughout the week in the U.S., the Bahamas, Bermuda and Canada.
Dangerous storm surge flooding and tropical storm conditions may beat North Carolina (National Hurricane Center)
New York City closed its beaches Wednesday and Thursday, with Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered three state beaches on Long Island to ban swimming on Thursday.
In Massachusetts, Nantucket Island may see more than 10 feet of waves later this week.
The worst condition is expected to be late Wednesday to Thursday, as the storm’s eyes are likely to be located closest to the coast, carving a road between the East Coast and Bermuda.
Erin is expected to extend as the winds in the tropical direction, 265 miles from its center, and then is expected to start weakening by Friday, the agency said.
NASA released satellite images showing Hurricane Irene far away from the U.S. coast (AP)
Satellite imagery and reports from the U.S. Air Force Hunter Aircraft suggest that Erin “was organized and is expected to undergo a slow reinforcement Thursday night.”
Erin was the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, exploded on Saturday in the fierce category 5 before being demoted to category 3, early Sunday morning, and then regained strength again later that day.
The storm brought flooding, rainfall, high surfing and strong winds to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Arctic Islands.
By Tuesday, it slammed the Turks and Caicos Islands, where government services were suspended and residents were ordered to stay home, as well as parts of the Bahamas.
