Stronger, bigger Hurricane Erin forecast to create dangerous surf along US coast

MIAMI AP A stronger and bigger Hurricane Erin pelted parts of the Caribbean and was forecast to create dangerous surf and rip currents along the U S East Coast this week It reintensified to a Category storm with mph kph maximum sustained winds early Monday as its outer bands began to impact the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands according to the U S National Hurricane Center in Miami Around a m Monday Erin was about miles kilometers northeast of Grand Turk Island and about miles kilometers south-southeast of Cape Hatteras North Carolina The storm was moving northwest at mph kph Additional strengthening was forecast for Monday followed by gradual weakening but Erin was expected to remain a large major hurricane into midweek Hurricane-force winds extended up to miles kilometers from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to miles km The area of strong winds is expected to grow more over the next meager days At that size Erin will impact coastal areas even though it isn t forecast to make a direct landfall Dare County North Carolina declared an exigency and ordered an evacuation beginning Monday of Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that juts far into the Atlantic Several days of heavy surf and high winds and waves could wash out parts of N C Highway running along the barrier islands the National Weather Organization noted Erin the year s first Atlantic hurricane reached an exceedingly dangerous Category status Saturday with mph kph winds before weakening You re dealing with a major hurricane The intensity is fluctuating It s a dangerous hurricane in any event Richard Pasch of the National Hurricane Center reported Erin s outer bands pelted parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rains and tropical-storm winds during the day Sunday That knocked out power to about customers according to Luma Potency a private company that oversees the transmission and distribution of power on the island More than flights were canceled due to the weather The Coast Guard allowed all ports in Puerto Rico and the U S Virgin Islands to reopen Sunday as winds and rains decreased Rough ocean conditions were forecast for parts of the Virgin Islands Puerto Rico Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Life-threatening surf and rip currents were forecast into midweek for the Bahamas Bermuda the U S East Coast and Canada s Atlantic coast as Erin turns north and then northeast Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to situation change Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and is spiking ocean temperatures and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more promptly