Even though Erin is expected to stay hundreds of miles offshore, its impacts are forecast to worsen as it crawls northward and makes its closest approach to the U.S. mainland. Erin was generating waves of 35 feet or more at an ocean buoy east-northeast of the Bahamas on Aug. 19, creating swells and stirring up a broad swath of the ocean.

Beachgoers are being warned to stay off the sand and out of the water as Hurricane Erin churns toward New York, where it is expected to cause dangerous rip currents.

Hurricane Erin formed early Friday, Aug. 15, marking the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. Here's what to expect in NC.