Tropical Storm Erin is expected to become a hurricane. How could it affect NC?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tropical Storm Erin moves west across the Atlantic, tracking by NHC continues.
- Forecasters expect Erin to strengthen into a major hurricane by the weekend.
- Storm may bring dangerous rip currents to NC coast next week.
Update: Find our latest story here. See photos of the damage here.
The National Hurricane Center is tracking Tropical Storm Erin, which is moving west across the Atlantic Ocean.
But it’s still thousands of miles away from the U.S. coast, and moving relatively slowly, said Dan Leins, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Raleigh.
It’s too early to know how the storm will affect the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The NHC has even less certainty about the storm’s impact on parts of the U.S. East Coast, including North Carolina, the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Greater Antilles, as of mid-day Tuesday, Aug. 12.
However, Erin is expected to begin strengthening gradually on Wednesday, Aug. 13, and could become a hurricane by late Thursday, Aug. 14, according to the NHC.
It’s forecast to become a major hurricane sometime over the weekend, Leins said. Major hurricanes correspond to a Category 3, 4 or 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale and have maximum sustained winds of 111 mph or higher.
Erin, the fifth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic season, would be the first hurricane and major hurricane of the season, if it develops.
Impacts of Tropical Storm Erin
The storm won’t be near the East Coast until at least the middle of next week, Leins said. Even if it’s hundreds of miles away, though, the storm could produce dangerous beach conditions including an increased risk of rip currents.
North Carolina travelers and residents are encouraged to monitor weather forecasts in coming days, as the National Hurricane Center continues to track the storm.
Forecasters at AccuWeather said the storm is expected to bring rain and wind to Puerto Rico. Specifically, between 1 and 2 inches of rain is expected across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while some spots may see up to 7 inches of rain, causing flash flooding.
When is hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 through Nov. 30, peaks on Wednesday, Sept. 10, and most activity occurs between mid-August and mid-October, according to the National Hurricane Center.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters predicted in May that there would be between 13 and 19 named storms in 2025, including six to 10 hurricanes.
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 7:28 AM with the headline "Tropical Storm Erin is expected to become a hurricane. How could it affect NC?."
