Hurricane Erin to miss East Coast but send dangerous waves, rip currents to MD, VA & DE

Erin Misses East Coast but Sends Dangerous Waves to MD, VA & DE

Hurricane Erin went through explosive strengthening as expected over the weekend as it skirts along the Caribbean. Luckily, Erin will miss the East Coast as it gets steered eastward by a cold front and stays in the Atlantic. While the full tropical impacts won't be felt over the area, places along the Mid-Atlantic coast can see dangerous conditions along the coast.

WASHINGTON - Hurricane Erin went through explosive strengthening as expected over the weekend as it skirts along the Caribbean. Luckily, Erin will miss the East Coast as it gets steered eastward by a cold front and stays in the Atlantic. While the full tropical impacts won't be felt over the area, places along the Mid-Atlantic coast can see dangerous conditions along the coast.

Areas like Ocean City, Maryland will begin to see an increase in wave height as Erin begins to skirt by the east coast by the middle of the work week. Wave height begins to increase Wednesday night into Thursday where some of the tallest waves can get up to nine feet. Thursday afternoon in areas around Ocean City and in Rehoboth, Dewey, and Bethany in Delaware can expect to see wave heights over nine feet in the tallest of waves. The waves will then slowly begin to decrease in height as we head into the weekend, and Erin continues the eastward track. Rip currents will be a major concern throughout the week, especially as Erin passes by.

While waves will be a major threat for most of the coast, wind gusts will also be problem Thursday. Wind gusts are expected to pick up into the 35-45 mph range for the Delmarva peninsula thanks to Hurricane Erin. Erin's wind field will also impact us here in the district as wind gusts pick up into the 20-25 mph range for Washington, D.C.

It will be important to stay updated on where and how Erin continues to progress throughout this week as it begins its north and the eastward track.