As Hurricane Erin moves away from the East Coast on Aug. 22, it leaves behind flooded-out and sand-covered roads, eroded beaches and dangerous waters for beachgoers.
Some of the hardest hit areas were along the Outer Banks barrier islands of North Carolina, where waves crashed into beachfront homes and made a major road impassable. A state of emergency was also declared in New Jersey on Aug. 21 in preparation for flood impacts and high winds as Erin made its up the coast out at sea.
Erin made a turn to the northeast and was finally moving away from the United States as a weakened Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm passed as close as about 200 miles from the North Carolina coast.
Though Erin has weakened, dangerous surf conditions and rip currents remain a threat at beaches along much of the East Coast, forecasters said.
“It may seem like a nice beach day, with sunshine and blue skies as the storm goes out to sea, but powerful rip currents will be lurking in the water through Saturday," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said.
