Homes evacuated as Hurricane Erin to create dangerous waves along US coast
Hurricane Erin restrengthens to category 4 storm as it barrels towards US
- Hurricane Erin has intensified into a formidable Category 4 storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 130mph (215kmph).
- Its outer bands have already affected the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, causing power outages for about 147,000 customers and leading to flight cancellations.
- Tropical storm conditions are anticipated for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas, with dangerous surf and rip currents forecast for the US East Coast later this week.
- Dare County, North Carolina, has declared an emergency and ordered an evacuation of Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks due to expected heavy surf and high winds.
- Erin is projected to remain a large, major hurricane for several days, with scientists linking the rapid intensification of such storms in the Atlantic to climate change.