Despite never making landfall, Hurricane Erin had major impacts on coastlines across the Atlantic.
More than ten days before Erin was felt on the U.S. eastern seaboard with historic surf, erosion, and coastal flooding, a tropical disturbance formed off West Africa. This storm, soon to be the first Category 5 hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season, brought devastation to the island country of Cape Verde. There, it killed nine people and displaced more than 1,500 before crossing the Atlantic.
Feeding off warm water and other conducive conditions for hurricane formation, Erin evolved into the most rapidly intensifying hurricane, before September 1, ever recorded in the Atlantic. While never making direct landfall, its effects were widely felt from Puerto Rico to Maine and beyond; from historical surf and flooded communities to the tragic loss of life.
Buxton Beach on North Carolina's Buxton Beach was among the most impacted by the extreme waves generated by Hurricane Erin. Photo: Jenni Koontz/Epic Shutter Photography
While Erin's rain and wind churned well offshore, it was the waves that battered communities and beaches along the eastern seaboard. Not surprisingly, natural and restored shorelines withstood the storm’s impacts much more effectively than those with coastal armoring and beachfront development. Once again, nature-based solutions to protecting our coasts prevailed.
Here is the story of Hurricane Erin, as told by those who experienced its impacts firsthand.
Rincon, Puerto Rico
When tropical activity begins to stir in the Atlantic, Puerto Rico keeps a close eye. Hurricane Maria in 2017 left a wake of destruction that still affects the people of Puerto Rico today. Fortunately, Erin steered north of the archipelago, but that didn’t eliminate its impacts. Three lives were tragically lost in the large surf, and many beaches were impacted by significant erosion.
Surfrider Puerto Rico’s Programs Manager, Hector Varela-Velez, had this to say:
"Although the storm passed about 200 miles off our coasts, its effects were still felt. The wind direction and the swells that reached the west coast once again highlighted the urgent reality of coastal erosion. In Rincón, the consequences of poor planning were evident. Concrete walls built in front of the town’s public beach collapsed, leaving structures suspended and worsening the erosion they were meant to prevent.
"The contrast with natural areas was revealing. At Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, where the coastline remains largely in its natural state, there was no major damage. This scenario demonstrates once again that concrete seawalls are not a lasting solution to erosion and instead, they can actually worsen the problem. Natural coastlines, free from rigid structures, show a far greater ability to recover after storms and swells, while also avoiding the high economic costs of reconstruction.
"The passage of Erin leaves us with a clear lesson — nature knows how to regenerate when we allow it to. True resilience lies in protecting and preserving our coasts in their natural state, rather than trying to dominate them with concrete."
Moving this bike path in Isabela, Puerto Rico out of harms way is a local priority for Surfrider Puerto Rico. Photo: Hector Varela-Valez
Outer Banks, North Carolina
The Outer Banks of North Carolina was one of the most impacted areas by the storm. Several beaches, including those in Buxton, were overtopped by Erin’s waves, resulting in damaged structures, road closures, and flooded neighborhoods. Notably, areas with setback development and restored dunes fared better than those without.
Surfrider’s OBX Chapter Treasurer Dave Taylor had this to share:
"The northern towns of the OBX came through with minimal damage. The surf was extremely rough, with rip currents and waves over 10 feet. High tides were big, and the dunes were under serious pressure throughout the storm cycle. Over the years, the towns of Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head, with the support of volunteers and local organizations, have been consistently working on dune restoration. Dune fencing, Christmas tree placement, and an incredible amount of dune grass planting are done every year. In the face of Erin, these efforts, for the most part, worked! There was minimal overrun, which prevented any significant flooding. The impacted dunes were eroded to some extent, but upon inspection after the last extreme high tide, most of the dune grass is still in place."
"The southern towns of the OBX on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke did not fare as well. The dunes on these islands are constantly shifting and, even with a huge effort from the state, are overrun during these types of storms. The town of Buxton, along with Ocracoke Island, were the most impacted."
Shoreline homes and roads without a natural buffer are often the most impacted by storms and surf. This was the case in Buxton. Photo: Jenni Koontz/Epic Shutter Photography
Long Beach Island, New Jersey
The Jersey Shore got its share of surf from Erin, maxing out certain locations while lighting up those that could handle the long-period swell. With the swell came big changes in sandbars and beach profiles.
Local LBI surfer Jon Coen explained:
"The swell arrived Tuesday, but by Thursday it was likely 10 feet as the storm doubled in size and came closer. By Friday morning, you could see the outer bands of Erin from the beach. It was probably four to eight feet with a river of current. Most of the Island was too hairy, but the pro guys found the extra-heavy diamonds in the rough on the north end. The surf was very good with heavy sections and some tubes, breaking into the Forsythe Refuge 'cove.' It, of course, was very crowded, but the current was an equalizer. The storm continued to deliver waves well into Monday.
Where I live in Ship Bottom, our sandbars are wasted. There’s a huge trough on the beach like after a nor’easter in the winter. Little sandbar on the way outside, but it breaks terribly. Overall, we had a replenishment project on the south end that finished last winter and another on the north end that finished last spring. The beach was lost in Holgate for sure, but most of the dunes are still in place. I won’t be surfing my street for weeks or months."
Montauk, New York
Long Island pumped with swell from Erin, with incredible surf breaking at many spots from the Rockaways to Montauk. Fortunately, like on the Outer Banks and in New Jersey, recent dune restoration efforts played an important role in minimizing damage from the big hurricane surf.
Surfrider’s Eastern Long Island Chapter Manager Brodi Eggert had this to say:
"While Hurricane Erin was the stuff of Montauk surf legend, its effects on our coast are extremely real. We were thankfully spared from any direct hits, but even 200 miles offshore, Erin was producing regular sets of eight to 12 foot waves. Many of our beaches are thinner, some thicker, and the shape of each oceanfront beach is completely different. Thanks to our natural dunes and efforts by local officials, we were largely able to avoid any major coastal flooding. Erin will go down in Montauk surf history, and hopefully as a reminder of the importance of coastal resiliency and hurricane preparedness."
Restored dunes in the Rockaways are a natural solution to the impacts of storms, climate change, and coastal erosion. Photo: Surfrider
Newbury, Massachusetts
Despite spinning 200 miles off the coast of New England, Hurricane Erin was a deadly storm. Its massive surf impacted coastline that doesn’t often experience such wave energy.
Surfrider’s Massachusetts Chapter Chair, Chris Borgatti explained:
"Hurricanes don't get much better for surfing in New England than Erin. Tons of waves from Carribean, up the East Coast, to Canada without ever making landfall.
We've been facing a significant drought in the Northeast, which has led to water quality issues at many inland lakes and ponds with public beaches. As a result, more people have been heading to coastal beaches, even through the hurricane swell. Lifeguards were busy managing both surfers and beachgoers. Unfortunately, there were multiple drownings and near-drownings due to stronger-than-usual rip currents and surf at popular beaches. If the swell had occurred a week or two later, when schools are in session and fewer people are at the beaches, we likely would not have seen so many of these incidents."
Hampton, New Hampshire
With only 18 miles of shoreline, New Hampshire isn’t the most wave-rich of East Coast states; but with a storm like Erin, even this tiny coastline saw epic surf. Surfers scrambled to experience the unique opportunity to ride big summer waves, and Surfrider’s New Hampshire Chapter Chair, Chris Grippo, was on site to catch a few himself.
According to Chris:
"The swell event from Wednesday through Sunday was nothing short of amazing in New Hampshire. The forerunners of the swell showed up on Wednesday with chest to head high waves and then picked up to overhead surf by Friday afternoon. Saturday showed Erin's teeth. It was BIG, and it was windy. It was gnarly.
Of course, with the exciting waves, there was lots and lots of traffic. Vehicles were parked everywhere and in places where people should not park. All available public parking lots and spaces were taken. So people got creative. As the coast becomes an increasingly popular destination and as surfing continues to grow, the amount of public parking and traffic flow is something to certainly think more about.
There was definitely beach erosion with the swell, but the New Hampshire coast fared well during this event. Luck played a hand in that there wasn't an extreme tide coinciding with the swell. Had there been an extreme tide, things would have been very different.
Bottom line, it was a great swell for surfing, and our beaches and coastline were not severely impacted. That said, we still need to be very aware of the challenges that these storms and climate change can and will bring to our coastlines."
Hurricane Erin also treated Maine surfers very well. Photo: Joshua Kelly
After exiting the western Atlantic, Hurricane Erin continued its journey, eventually sending unseasonably large waves to European big wave spots like Nazare and Ireland’s Mullaghmore, and even the coast of Morocco. It is not often that a hurricane takes such a track while maintaining enough force to send significant swell to multiple continents. With several more months left in the 2025 hurricane season, Atlantic surfers eagerly await the next storm.
Meanwhile, coastal homeowners, businesses, and communities on the eastern seaboard also wait for the next system to start making its trek west. One thing we were reminded of from Hurricane Erin is that intact shorelines — equipped with dunes and natural habitat — can withstand the impacts of the waves, wind, and surge generated from these hurricanes, much better than those with hard armoring and developed beaches.
These sand bags, also known as "Beach Burritos," in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, are not a long term solution to the impacts of coastal erosion and climate change. Photo: Charlie Plybon
Surfrider’s Climate Action Program aims to bolster our coasts' resilience through restoration, which played a critical role in protecting coastal communities from the impacts of Hurricane Erin.
To learn more about how you can get involved and support this work in your community, please visit surfrider.org/climateaction.
Featured Image: Jenni Koontz/Epic Shutter Photography