Hurricane Erin spurs mass evacuations as erosion threatens North Carolina’s Outer Banks homes

Hurricane Erin spurs mass evacuations as erosion threatens North Carolina’s Outer Banks homes

Hurricane Erin is forecast to stay offshore but is already battering North Carolina’s Outer Banks with waves over 20 feet, prompting evacuations of Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. Officials fear the storm will wash out N.C. 12, the only road connecting the islands to the mainland, leaving communities isolated for days or weeks.

The Atlantic Ocean, beach and houses at Duck, Outer Banks, North Carolina. File image/ AP