Thousands evacuate the Outer Banks ahead of Hurricane Erin

One photographer, who has shot Hatteras Island and the storms that blow in for 17 years, said the island is "running out of beach."
Posted 8/20/2025, 2:16:00 AM Updated 8/20/2025, 8:58:07 AM

IMPACTS. WENT TO AARON MOVES ON

OUT OF HERE. OKAY. THANKS SO

MUCH, CAT. TAKE A LIVE LOOK

HERE. THIS IS A LOOK AT THE

RODANTHE PIER. YOU CAN SEE THE

WAVES KIND OF CRASHING AT THE

BOTTOM OF THE PIER HERE.

HURRICANE AARON'S WAVES WILL

ONLY INTENSIFY WAVES HAVE BEEN

HAMMERING THE COAST.

>> INCLUDING IN BUXTON, AVON

AND RODANTHE, ALL OF WHICH HAVE

ALREADY SEEN FLOODING OTHER

AREAS OF HATTERAS ISLAND ARE

FAIRING A BIT BETTER TONIGHT.

TONIGHT, OFFICIALS THAT WARNING

WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE EFFECTS

FROM THE STORM FOR DAYS.

WRAL'S ERIC MILLER JOINING US

NOW LIVE FROM RODANTHE WITH THE

VERY LATEST. ALSO TELL US A

PROGRESS ON THE EVACUATIONS.

ERIC?

>> ALINA OFFICIALS HAVE

CONFIRMED THAT THEY'VE BEEN

ABLE TO GET SEVERAL 1000 PEOPLE

OFF OF THESE ISLANDS, INCLUDING

BY FERRY, IS REMEMBER, IT'S

BOTH HATTERAS AND OCRACOKE THAT

ARE PART OF THAT MANDATORY

EVACUATION AREA. YOU TAKE A

LOOK RIGHT HERE. WE'RE ON EAST

POINTE DRIVE IN RODANTHE

TONIGHT. YOU CAN SEE SEA WATER

LITERALLY FLOWING DOWN THE

STREET. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS

ALL EVENING LONG. A PREVIEW OF

WHAT'S TO COME AS AARON GETS

CLOSER.

>> THE POUNDING SURF OF

HURRICANE ERIN. HE'S UNBEATABLE

FROM HITTING COACHES EVER.

LET US SIT TODAY WAS KIND OF

SHOCKING. IT'S BLUE BIRD.

>> SKY TODAY, SUNNY.

>> WE GAVE UP A TIGER FANS BEEN

SHOOTING ON HATTERAS ISLAND,

INCLUDING STORMS FOR 17 YEARS

TUESDAY. SHE CAPTURED AARON'S

OPENING BLOOMS, INUNDATING

NEIGHBORHOODS IN AND AROUND

BUCKS TO ONE OF THE MOST

VULNERABLE PLACES ON THE

ISLAND.

>> THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T HAVE

ANY BEACH HERE WHERE WE'RE

RUNNING ON THE BEACH.

>> YOUR COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE

WARNING THAT THERE REMAINS A

LIFE THREATENING STORM IMPACTS

THAT COULD LAST FOR DAYS.

WE COULD SEE RAPIDLY RISING

WATER THAT GIVES THIS DEEP.

INSEE DOT. CREWS SPENT HOURS

WORKING TO HOLD OFF THAT OVER

WASH ALONG HIGHWAY 12. THE ONLY

ROAD IN OR OUT OF HATTERAS

ISLAND PILING TONS OF SAND

EVER-HIGHER ALONG THE SHOULDER.

>> BUT IN AREAS WITHOUT A

BARRICADE.

>> AND TRUMP'S GOOD, BY THE

WAY, RIGHT THERE, THE WATER IS

ALREADY SEEPING THROUGH IT.

ROLLING DOWN ROADS, NOT A GOOD

THING THAT HAS BEEN BAD THIS

EARLY ON.

>> ERIE COUNTY IS WARNING

PEOPLE THE WINDOW TO EVACUATE

IS CLOSING. THE MANY LONGTIME

RESIDENTS ARE STILL PLANNING

TO RIDE IT OUT. THEY ALL HAVE

FIXED. WE HAVE TO IN A TO LIVE

OUT A PLACE LIKE THIS.

>> JUDY KUHN SAYS ALSO PLANNING

TO STAY WORRIED WHAT THE STORM

COULD DO TO THE PLACE. SHE'S

CALLED HOME. WE DETERMINED TO

DOCUMENT THAT ONE SHOT AT A

TIME.

>> IF TODAY WAS AS BAD AS IT

WAS, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THE

NEXT 2 DAYS ARE GOING TO BRING.

>> AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW

WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO A LOW

TIDE RIGHT HERE THIS EVENING.

AND YET WE STILL HAVE WATER

TRICKLING IN. WE'RE GONNA HIT

ANOTHER HIGH TIDE OVERNIGHT.

A LOT OF FOLKS GOING TO BE

WATCHING THAT VERY CLOSELY TO

SEE WHAT SORT OF CONDITIONS

THAT BRINGS TO OCRACOKE.

THAT BRINGS TO HATTERAS AND

THESE OTHER VULNERABLE BEACH