NEW: Hurricane Erin continued to intensify rapidly this morning and went from a Tropical Storm to a Category 5 hurricane in 24 hours. Reports from an Air Force NOAA Hurricane Hunter Plane have found winds of 160MPH gusts to 175MPH and a pressure of 917MB. This morning. It is now located 105 Miles NE of Anguilla.
The forecast track has not changed, and it is still expected to pass pretty safely East of North Carolina, so a direct hit is not expected, but there is a growing risk of High Surf, Rip Currents, and Ocean overwash (especially along the Outer Banks) starting around Tuesday and lasting through late this upcoming week. I’ll continue to monitor and let you know if anything changes, but if you’re going to be using Highway 12 starting later this forthcoming week, be prepared for Ocean overwash.
