Hurricane Erin forces evacuations on North Carolina's Outer Banks but expected to stay offshore

Hurricane Erin forced tourists to cut their vacations short on North Carolina’s Outer Banks even though the monster storm is expected to stay offshore after lashing part of the Caribbean with rain and wind on Monday.

Evacuations were ordered on some barrier islands along the Carolina coast as authorities warned the storm could churn up dangerous rip currents and swamp roads with waves of 15 feet (4.6 meters). Tropical storm and surge watches were issued Monday for much of the Outer Banks.

Officials at the Wrightsville Beach, near Wilmington, North Carolina, reported to the National Weather Service rescuing at least 60 swimmers from rip currents on Monday.

Tourists and residents waited for hours in a line of cars at Ocracoke Island’s ferry dock — the only way to leave other than by plane.

“We definitely thought twice,” said Seth Brotherton, of Catfish, North Carolina, whose weeklong fishing trip ended after two days. “But they said ‘mandatory’ and that pretty much means, ‘get out of here.’"

Forecasters are confident Erin will curl north and away from the eastern U.S., but it’s still expected to whip up wild waves and tropical force winds along the coastal islands, Dave Roberts of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The storm intensified to a Category 4 with 140 mph (225 kph) maximum sustained winds Monday while pelting the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the southeast Bahamas, according to the center. By Monday night, sustained winds had dropped some to 125 mph (200 kph) with Erin about 690 miles (1,110 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda and about 780 miles (1,255 kilometers) southeast of Cape Hatteras.

Government officials in the Turks and Caicos Islands said all services were suspended on three of its islands and ordered residents there to stay home. Some ports also closed.

On North Carolina’s Outer Banks, coastal flooding was expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Thursday.

The evacuations that began Monday on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke came at the height of tourist season on the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that jut into the Atlantic Ocean and are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges.

A year ago, Hurricane Ernesto stayed hundreds of miles offshore yet still produced high surf and swells that caused coastal damage.

This time there are concerns that several days of heavy surf, high winds and waves could wash out parts of the main highway, the National Weather Service said. Some routes could be impassible for several days, authorities warned.

This is the first time Ocracoke has been evacuated since Hurricane Dorian struck in 2019, leaving behind the most damage in the island's recorded history.

Tommy Hutcherson, who owns the community’s only grocery store, said the island has mostly bounced back. He’s optimistic this storm won’t be as destructive. “But you just never know. I felt the same way about Dorian and we really got smacked,” he said.

Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate 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 quickly.

Daniel Pullen, a professional photographer who lives on Hatteras Island, said he’s already lost three days of work shooting family portraits because of the evacuation order.

Pullen doesn’t plan to evacuate, fearing he could be stuck off the island for days and even weeks if the main Highway 12 washes out.

“It’s a bit like Russian roulette,” Pullen said. “Do you stay and take the chance of it hitting you? Or do you leave and take the chance of getting stuck off the island for weeks at a time? I would say the majority of Hatteras Island residents can’t afford to stay in a motel for a week or two weeks.”

Erin, the year’s first Atlantic hurricane, reached a dangerous Category 5 status Saturday with 160 mph (260 kph) winds before weakening. It is expected to remain a large hurricane into midweek.

“You’re dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It’s a dangerous hurricane in any event,” the hurricane center’s Richard Pasch said.

Bermuda will experience the most severe threat Thursday evening, said Phil Rogers, director of the Bermuda Weather Service. By then, waters could swell up to 24 feet (7.3 meters).

“Surfers, swimmers and boaters must resist the temptation to go out. The waters will be very dangerous and lives will be placed at risk,” acting Minister of National Security Jache Adams said.

Erin’s outer edges hit parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rains and tropical storm winds Sunday, knocking out power to thousands.

Associated Press journalists Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, and Julie Walker in New York contributed.

In this aerial image taken from video provided by WVEC-TV, homes along the Atlantic Coast in Dare County, N.C., are seen, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, ahead of expected impacts from Hurricane Erin. (WVEC-TV via AP)

CORRECTS LOCATION: In this image taken from the North Carolina Department of Transportation camera, cars are lined up to evacuate via ferry from Ocracoke Island to Hatteras Island, N.C., Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, due to the expected impact of Hurricane Erin. (North Carolina Department of Transportation via AP)

In this image taken from the North Carolina Department of Transportation camera, cars are lined up to evacuate via a ferry on the island of Hatteras Island, N.C., Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, due to the expected impact of Hurricane Erin. (North Carolina Department of Transportation via AP)

This image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Erin on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (NOAA via AP)

Water surrounds a house in Guayama, Puerto Rico, as Hurricane Erin brings rains to the island, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

A red flag warns of dangerous waves on an empty beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Erin passed by near the island on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Water floods a road in Naguabo, Puerto Rico, as Hurricane Erin brings rain to the island, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

People fish along the shore in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, as Hurricane Erin brings rains to the island, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Troops from several European countries continued to arrive in Greenland on Thursday in a show of support for Denmark as talks between representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. highlighted “fundamental disagreement” over the future of the Arctic island.

Denmark announced it would increase its military presence in Greenland on Wednesday as foreign ministers from Denmark and Greenland were preparing to meet with White House representatives in Washington. Several European partners — including France, Germany, the U.K., Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands — started sending symbolic numbers of troops already on Wednesday or promised to do so in the following days.

The troop movements were intended to portray unity among Europeans and send a signal to President Donald Trump that an American takeover of Greenland is not necessary as NATO together can safeguard the security of the Arctic region amid rising Russian and Chinese interest.

“The first French military elements are already en route” and “others will follow,” French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday, as French authorities said about 15 soldiers from the mountain infantry unit were already in Nuuk for a military exercise.

Germany will deploy a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel to Greenland on Thursday, the Defense Ministry said.

On Thursday, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the intention was “to establish a more permanent military presence with a larger Danish contribution,” according to Danish broadcaster DR. He said soldiers from several NATO countries will be in Greenland on a rotation system.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, flanked by his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, said Wednesday that a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland remains with Trump after they held highly anticipated talks at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rasmussen added that it remains “clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland” but that dialogue with the U.S. would continue at a high level over the following weeks.

Inhabitants of Greenland and Denmark reacted with anxiety but also some relief that negotiations with the U.S. would go on and European support was becoming visible.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the continuation of “dialogue and diplomacy.”

“Greenland is not for sale,” he said Thursday. “Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed from the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”

In Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, local residents told The Associated Press they were glad the first meeting between Greenlandic, Danish and American officials had taken place but suggested it left more questions than answers.

Several people said they viewed Denmark’s decision to send more troops, and promises of support from other NATO allies, as protection against possible U.S. military action. But European military officials have not suggested the goal is to deter a U.S. move against the island.

Maya Martinsen, 21, said it was “comforting to know that the Nordic countries are sending reinforcements” because Greenland is a part of Denmark and NATO.

The dispute, she said, is not about “national security” but rather about “the oils and minerals that we have that are untouched.”

On Wednesday, Poulsen announced a stepped-up military presence in the Arctic “in close cooperation with our allies,” calling it a necessity in a security environment in which “no one can predict what will happen tomorrow.”

“This means that from today and in the coming time there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from other NATO allies,” Poulsen said.

Asked whether the European troop movements were coordinated with NATO or what role the U.S.-led military alliance might play in the exercises, NATO referred all questions to the Danish authorities. However, NATO is currently studying ways to bolster security in the Arctic.

The Russian embassy in Brussels on Thursday lambasted what it called the West's “bellicose plans” in response to “phantom threats that they generate themselves”. It said the planned military actions were part of an “anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda” by NATO.

“Russia has consistently maintained that the Arctic should remain a territory of peace, dialogue and equal cooperation," the embassy said.

Rasmussen announced the creation of a working group with the Americans to discuss ways to work through differences.

“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said.

Commenting on the outcome of the Washington meeting on Thursday, Poulsen said the working group was “better than no working group” and “a step in the right direction.” He added nevertheless that the dialogue with the U.S. did not mean “the danger has passed.”

Speaking on Thursday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the American ambition to take over Greenland remains intact despite the Washington meeting, but she welcomed the creation of the working group.

The most important thing for Greenlanders is that they were directly represented at the meeting in the White House and that “the diplomatic dialogue has begun now,” Juno Berthelsen, a lawmaker for the pro-independence Naleraq opposition party, told AP.

A relationship with the U.S. is beneficial for Greenlanders and Americans and is “vital to the security and stability of the Arctic and the Western Alliance,” Berthelsen said. He suggested the U.S. could be involved in the creation of a coast guard for Greenland, providing funding and creating jobs for local people who can help to patrol the Arctic.

Line McGee, 38, from Copenhagen, told AP that she was glad to see some diplomatic progress. “I don’t think the threat has gone away,” she said. “But I feel slightly better than I did yesterday.”

Trump, in his Oval Office meeting with reporters, said: “We’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out.”

Niemann reported from Copenhagen, Denmark, and Ciobanu from Warsaw, Poland.

Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt speak at a news conference at the Embassy of Denmark, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

People walk on a street in Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

From center to right, Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, Denmark's Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen, rear, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, right, arrive on Capitol Hill to meet with senators from the Arctic Caucus, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

An Airbus A400M transport aircraft of the German Air Force taxis over the grounds at Wunstorf Air Base in the Hanover region, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 as troops from NATO countries, including France and Germany, are arriving in Greenland to boost security. (Moritz Frankenberg/dpa via AP)

Fishermen load fishing lines into a boat in the harbor of Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, left, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, arrive on Capitol Hill to meet with members of the Senate Arctic Caucus, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)