Summary: Hurricane Erin formed on August 11 in the Central Atlantic and rapidly intensified into the season’s first major hurricane—peaking at Category 5 strength—before weakening to a Category 2 as it moved across the Atlantic. Following Erin, forecasters are tracking for the potential formation of three additional tropical storms in the Atlantic.
Analyst Note: Although Hurricane Erin will almost certainly not make landfall, it still poses a threat to communities up and down the East Coast because of the sheer size of its tropical-storm-force wind field, extending 300 miles from its center. This is causing high-energy, dangerous ocean waves to reach more than 1,500 miles from the storm — stretching from Florida to Newfoundland, Canada, according to a Washington Post report. One major roadway in North Carolina is partially closed due to coastal flooding. According to the Hurricane Center, tropical storm conditions will continue to affect portions of the North Carolina Outer Banks and the Virginia coastline for the next few hours. Elsewhere along the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coast, wind gusts up to tropical storm force are likely through early Friday.
Additionally, Hurricane Erin serves as a reminder for communities across the country that even large storms that don’t directly travel over them can still bring devastating impacts. For example, Hurricane Helene caused historic catastrophic inland flooding across the Southern Appalachia region, including parts of eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and southern Virginia, in late September 2024.
The Hurricane Center is monitoring a pair of additional disturbances tracking across the Atlantic, which could form into tropical storms. Indeed, NOAA’s most recent Atlantic Hurricane Season forecast said that atmospheric and oceanic conditions continue to favor an above-normal season. As we enter the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, utilities are encouraged to prepare for potential impacts across the all-hazards threat landscape.
Original Sources:
- https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/21/weather/hurricane-erin-storm-path-climate
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/08/20/hurricane-erin-east-coast-cities-flooding-waves-impacts/
Mitigation Recommendations:
Related WaterISAC PIRs: 16 & 17
