Bahamas braces for rough seas as Hurricane Erin grows in strength

Residents in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos braced themselves on Monday as Hurricane Erin, the first of the Atlantic season, passed nearby as a Category 4 storm, with winds of 225 kph.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Erin could strengthen further as it sweeps by the islands and is expected to remain a major hurricane through midweek. While not forecast to make direct landfall, the storm’s size is fuelling dangerous seas and prompting evacuation orders on the U.S. East Coast.

AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski described Erin as one of the fastest-strengthening storms on record, intensifying from a tropical storm to a Category 5 in just over a day. It briefly reached that level on Saturday before weakening slightly. This marks the fourth consecutive Atlantic season with at least one Category 5 hurricane.

In Turks and Caicos, public services were suspended and residents in exposed areas were told to be ready to evacuate the area. The Bahamas’ meteorology department warned of extremely rough seas, urging vessels to stay in port.

Kate Williamson, a Bahamian district administrator, said residents of the small island of Long Cay should move to the mainland. "People should finalise their preparations," she told local media.

Although Erin’s eye is expected to stay offshore, the NHC warned that tropical storm conditions and flooding could affect North Carolina’s Outer Banks by late Wednesday. Waves as high as six metres and dangerous rip currents are forecast.

Authorities in Dare and Hyde counties ordered evacuations for residents and tourists on the barrier islands of Hatteras and Ocracoke. The U.S. National Park Service said the Outer Banks usually attracts 2.7 million visitors each year.

Local innkeepers are taking different approaches. On Hatteras Island, hotel owner Holly Andrzejewski said she and her family would remain.

"Visitors are supposed to leave today and residents tomorrow, but we’re staying. We want to safeguard our property," she said.

On nearby Roanoke Island, innkeeper Lee Brickhouse said some guests were rescheduling. "We’re just holding our breath that the worst won’t happen," he told Reuters.

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