- Tropical Storm Erin forms, will track west across Atlantic in coming days
- Tropical Storm Erin forms in the Atlantic and Hurricane Henriette strengthens in the Pacific
- After Hill Country floods, families face a difficult question: Rebuild, or let go?
- San Antonio River Authority has a new plan to prevent flash flooding deaths. Will Texas fund it?
- NC DOT wins national award for exceptional coordination during Hurricane Helene
Tropical Storm Erin forms, will track west across Atlantic in coming days
Tropical Storm Erin formed Monday in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean, just west of the Cabo Verde Islands.
Erin was about 280 miles (451 kilometers) west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph), the NHC said. It was moving west at about 20 mph (32 kph).
The National Hurricane Center expects Erin to remain tropical storm through the early portion of the week, intensifying into a hurricane by mid- to late week.
By the coming weekend — Aug. 16 and 17 — Erin could be a major hurricane, Category 3 or higher.
“Notice by the weekend that this is still very far away from the East Coast,” WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels said. “It takes an average of 10 to 12 days for these storms to move across the Atlantic.”
It is way too soon to say whether Erin will have an impact on North Carolina.
“The forecast track beyond 5 to 7 days is pretty unertain,” Michaels said.
“You have high pressure that’s moving it across the Atlantic, but if we have a front or a trough across the eastern US, that would kick it away from us. That’s certainly something that we hope for.”
Meanwhile, Hurricane Henriette has strengthened in the Pacific Ocean but reamins well away from Hawaii, forecasters said.
There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect for either storm, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.
Prepare your home, family for hurricane season
The time to get flood insurance is before any storm targets North Carolina. Most homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flood damage, potentially leaving residents underwater with unexpected bills.
The median annual cost for flood insurance in North Carolina is about $750 per year.
Most flood insurance has a 30-day waiting period to go into effect.
It is also good to have your emergency kit packed – clean water, cash, nonperishable food, batteries and chargers come in handy when a storm knocks out power.
Make sure everyone in the family knows what to do and where to go if a storm comes. This includes making plans for pets.
