The powerful hurricane Erin continued its progress on Monday near the Bahamas, accompanied by powerful gusts of wind and intense rains. The threat of destructive waves on the American coast is growing.
Now classified as a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which has five, Erin evolves in the Caribbean region with winds up to 220 km/h, according to the American Hurricane Center (NHC).
Strong localized showers linked to its passage were expected on Monday through the Bahamas, the Turkish-and-Caican Islands as well as in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic, with a risk of floods.
After tapping the Bahamas, he had to operate a turn to the north on Tuesday and then pass between the east coast of the United States and the Bermuda in the middle of the week. Although it is not planned that it touches Earth, the weather services urged the American population on Monday afternoon not to take this hurricane lightly.
Six meter waves
‘Many of you may think that Erin’s offshore offshore will have little or no impact in the coming days on the east coast of the United States. Nothing could be more false ‘, alerted Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the NHC, in a video broadcast on social networks.
Dangerous currents as well as powerful waves up to six meters in height are expected, running the risk of coastal floods, especially on a rosary of islands bordering the North Carolina. In anticipation, certain areas have been subject to evacuation orders.
Hurricane Erin had come closer during the northern weekend of small Antilles and Puerto Rico, causing material damage. In this American territory devastated in 2017 by Hurricane Maria, houses and roads were overwhelmed by waters.
The powerful winds also slept trees on the road, and 150,000 households had been deprived of current on Sunday. Other cuts occurred on Monday, said local electricity company Luma, while ensuring that the service had been restored for more than 90% of its customers.
First hurricane of the season in the North Atlantic, Erin very quickly strengthened, reaching a little more than 24 hours the maximum level of intensity.
Despite calm beginnings, the hurricane season, which stretches from early June to the end of November, should this year be more intense than normal, according to forecasts by the American weather authorities.
/ATS