Hurricane Erin Picks Up Steam as It Edges Along East Coast

Hurricane Erin began strengthening again Wednesday while creeping toward the mid-Atlantic coast and churning up menacing waves that have closed beaches from the Carolinas to New York City.

Forecasters expect the storm to peak going into Thursday and said it could re-intensify into a major hurricane.

Erin remained a strong Category 2 hurricane Wednesday with maximum sustained winds at about 110 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Erin was about 335 miles south-southeast of North Carolina's Cape Hatteras.

Although Erin is unlikely to make landfall along the East Coast before turning farther out to sea, water began pouring onto North Carolina's Outer Banks main route and around a handful of stilted homes precariously perched above the beach.

Authorities expect the largest swells during high tide will cut off the Outer Banks' villages and vacation homes and whip up life-threatening rip currents from Florida to New England.

New York City closed its beaches to swimming on Wednesday and Thursday. Some beaches in New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware also will be temporarily off-limits.

Off Massachusetts, Nantucket Island could see waves of more than 10 feet later this week. But the biggest threat remained along the Outer Banks, where longtime residents didn't seem too concerned.

"I remember taking canoes out of my front yard to get to school, so I don't think it's gonna be that bad," said Jacob Throne, who lives on Hatteras Island and works for surf shops.

Surfers flocked to the oceanfront in Virginia Beach, where Erin was supplying robust waves for the East Coast Surfing Championships and the kind of swells that many locals had not seen in awhile.

"We're notorious for not having waves," said Henry Thompson, who competed in the open long board event. "Usually we get a surf competition and it gets canceled due to no waves or they just run it in really bad waves."

The championships will pause Thursday when Erin blows directly off the Virginia coast. But Thompson said he's expecting more hurricanes and good surfing in the coming months.

"Surfers, we're dreaming of hurricanes all year," he said.

Despite beach closures elsewhere, some swimmers were continuing to ignore the warnings. Rescuers saved more than a dozen people caught in rip currents Tuesday at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina — a day after more than 80 people were rescued.

Bob Oravec, a National Weather Service forecaster, said even if someone thinks they know how to handle a rip current, it's still not safe.

"You can be aware all you want," he said. "It can still be dangerous."

A combination of fierce winds and huge waves — estimated to be about 20 feet — could cause coastal flooding in many beachfront communities, North Carolina officials warned Wednesday.

"Dangerous conditions can be felt far from the eye, especially with a system as large as Erin," said Will Ray, the state's emergency management director.