Hurricane Erin brings coastal flooding to North Carolina, Virginia

Waves roll in as a lifeguard sits along the shoreline in Long Beach, New York. Hurricane Erin brought coastal flooding to parts of North Carolina and Virginia as it made its closest approach to the US mainland early on August 21. Photo / Charly Triballeau, AFP

Hurricane Erin brought coastal flooding to parts of North Carolina and Virginia as it made its closest approach to the US mainland early on Thursday.

High waves washed over Highway 12 that links the Outer Banks island chain, making parts impassable, images posted by local authorities showed – proving the giant storm’s ability to kick up dangerous seas hundreds of miles from its centre.

Local news channel WRAL reported some damage to buildings on Hatteras Island, particularly to beachside homes on stilts. Sand washed over by the storm covered streets and parking lots.

“The Outer Banks are extremely vulnerable to sea level rise, because the land is slowly sinking, and the seas are rising largely because of climate change,” Chip Konrad, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told AFP.

“Even with the modest storm surge such as what we’re experiencing here with Hurricane Erin, you can still have really major impacts.”

Though the Mid-Atlantic bore the brunt of the impacts, the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) urged beachgoers throughout the entire US East Coast to refrain from swimming to avoid being caught in potentially life-threatening conditions.

In a morning update, the NHC said Category 2 Erin was packing winds of 169km/h and creeping slowly north-northeast. It is expected to weaken as it moves further out to sea in the next couple of days.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, has entered its historical peak.

Despite a relatively quiet start with just five named storms so far, including Erin, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continues to forecast an above-normal season.

Scientists say climate change is supercharging tropical cyclones: warmer oceans fuel stronger winds, a warmer atmosphere intensifies rainfall, and higher sea levels magnify storm surge.

There is also some evidence, though less certainty, that climate change is making hurricanes more frequent.

-Agence France-Presse