Hurricane Erin is not a major hurricane, weakening to a Category 2 hurricane this morning as it moves closer to the East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 11 a.m. Aug. 19, Erin was located 650 miles southwest of Bermuda and 690 miles from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It has sustained winds of 105 mph and is moving northwest at 10 mph. It will start making its turn north on Aug. 19.
The center of Erin will pass to the east of the Bahamas on Aug. 19 and 20 and then move over the western Atlantic between the East Coast and Bermuda on Aug. 20 and 21.
How will Hurricane Erin impact the East Coast, Delaware?
Big waves and rough surf are expected along the Atlantic Coast from Central Florida to Canada as powerful and massive Hurricane Erin begins its slow cruise northward hundreds of miles offshore.
Erin is expected to grow in size throughout the week with dangerous rip currents along East Coast beaches.
Delaware's Atlantic coastline is under a high risk for rip currents Aug. 19 and 20.
Along the Delaware beaches and Jersey Shore, seas will build from 8 to 12 feet with beach erosion and coastal flooding expected, according to the National Weather Service
The rip current risk will be high through at least Aug. 21, the weather service said.
When is Hurricane Erin supposed to hit Delaware?
While the storm is not expected to make landfall, dangerous rip currents and breaking waves are forecast from East Central Florida to Canada's Atlantic Coast beginning Aug. 19, Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan has warned.
Brennan is pleading with U.S. residents to take Erin's potential coastal impacts seriously, even though the nation will be spared a direct landfall. Offshore wave heights could exceed 20 to 30 feet.
High tides also are expected to bring higher-than-normal water levels further southward along the coast, the weather service has warned.
"It's not going to be a safe environment to be in the ocean," Brennan said, adding that even when the weather may be pleasant on shore, dangerous and possibly life-threatening rip currents could be lurking in the water.
Delaware can expect to start feeling tropical storm-force winds by Aug. 20.
Hurricane Erin causes Delaware beaches to halt swimming
As Hurricane Erin gets closer, Delaware beaches are closed to swimmers for the second day in a row.
Due to rip currents and rough surf, ocean access was closed in Rehoboth, Dewey and Bethany beaches Aug. 19. The beach remains open in all three towns.
Rehoboth Beach lifeguards are prepared to keep the beach closed for swimming through Friday but will assess conditions daily, Rehoboth spokesperson Erin Corcoran said. In Bethany Beach, there is a possibility of full beach closures later in the week, Bethany Beach Patrol Captain Joe Donnelly said.
What are Hurricane Erin's spaghetti models?
Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
What's next behind Hurricane Erin?
Following behind Erin is yet another tropical wave that's given a 60% chance of becoming a tropical storm over the next seven days, the hurricane center said. A third disturbance just moved off the West African coast, but it's expected to encounter hostile conditions that may limit its further development.
What is a rip current?
According to NOAA, rip currents are channeled currents of water that flow away from the shore out past the line of breaking waves. They form from water piling up between the breaking waves and the beach. As the water returns from the shore, it forms a narrow stream of water that moves quickly out to sea.
What to do in a rip current
According to the United States Lifesaving Association, swimmers should do the following:
Relax, rip currents don't pull you under.
Don’t swim against the current.
You may be able to escape by swimming out of the current in a direction following the shoreline, or toward breaking waves, then at an angle toward the beach.
You may be able to escape by floating or treading water if the current circulates back toward shore.
If you feel you will be unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself. If you need help, yell and wave for assistance.
When is hurricane season?
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. However, hurricanes can occur before and after those dates.
What are the categories for tropical cyclones and hurricanes?
Tropical storm
A tropical storm is a tropical cyclone with winds between 39 and 73 mph. These storms bring heavy rains that could lead to dangerous flooding.
Category 1
A category 1 storm is the weakest of the hurricanes with winds between 74 and 95 mph. The storm will cause some flooding, but no real structural damage.
Category 2
A category 2 storm has winds between 96 and 110 mph. The storm can cause moderate damage to buildings.
Category 3
A category 3 storm will have winds from 111-129 mph. It can cause major damage to well-built framed homes, uproot trees and cause power and communication outages.
Category 4
A category 4 storm can cause catastrophic damage to well-built framed homes, tearing off roofs and breaking exterior walls. Mobile homes are destroyed. Roads are impassible and there are communication and power outages.
Category 5
A category 5 storm can cause catastrophic damage with most framed homes and mobile homes being destroyed. Trees will be snapped and uprooted. Roads will be impassible and there will be extended power and communication outages.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Hurricane Erin tracker: Latest forecast for category 2 storm
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