Overview

• The National Hurricane Center said Erin was about 400 kilometers southeast of North Carolina Wednesday afternoon with maximum winds near 175 km/h as a Category 2 hurricane.
• Storm warnings were posted for parts of North Carolina and Virginia, and mandatory evacuations were ordered for Ocracoke and Hatteras in the Outer Banks.
• North Carolina Governor Josh Stein declared a state of emergency, urged residents to prepare five days of supplies, and deployed about 200 National Guard troops and rescue teams.
• Authorities warned of dangerous surf and rip currents from the Bahamas to Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast and Atlantic Canada, and New York City closed public beaches to swimming on Wednesday and Thursday.
• Erin earlier intensified to Category 5 and caused flooding and temporary power outages in Puerto Rico, with scientists noting unusually warm waters can favor rapid strengthening.