While Hurricane Erin is expected to stay hundreds of miles off the East Coast, the powerful storm is forecast to bring large breaking waves, dangerous rip currents, strong wind gusts, and beach erosion to Massachusetts in the coming days.
Hurricane Erin, a Category 2 storm, was churning slowly in the Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern U.S. coastline on Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.
Erin has been stirring up treacherous waves that have already led to dozens of water rescues. Warnings about rip currents have been posted from Florida to the New England coast.
There is a high risk of rip currents from today and on Thursday for most U.S. east coast beaches from South Florida to Massachusetts due to Hurricane #Erin.
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 20, 2025
Beachgoers are urged to follow information from lifeguards, local authorities, and beach warning flags. The best advice?… pic.twitter.com/8cEitc4hO6
Erin has become an unusually large and deceptively worrisome storm, with its tropical storm winds stretching 230 miles from its core, the Associated Press reported.
Forecasters expect it will grow larger as it moves through the Atlantic and curls north.
The biggest swells off the southeastern coast of New England, including Cape Cod and the Islands, are expected to be felt from Wednesday through Saturday as Erin makes its distant pass.
Concerns over waves of up to 13 feet leading to beach erosion and rip currents causing life-threatening swimming conditions prompted the National Weather Service to issue a high surf advisory for parts of the Bay State.
On Wednesday, Governor Healey urged residents to stay away from the shore, warning of the dangerous rip currents.
“I want to urge everyone on our coasts to stay safe and alert as we expect to experience some effects of the storm passing offshore,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Rip currents and high surfs are a serious threat to swimmers. Please be careful while the storm passes through our region and keep an eye out for neighbors who might need assistance.”
The high surf advisory is in effect for south-facing beaches in Dukes, Nantucket, Bristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable counties until 8 a.m. Saturday.
We will be facing some bigger impacts from Erin across southeastern coastal New England through the end of the week. pic.twitter.com/hrXm6mrNS3
— Vicki Graf (@VickiGrafWX) August 20, 2025
The NWS said large breaking waves will increase each day, peaking on Friday with waves of 8 to 13 feet off Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
“Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due to dangerous surf conditions,” the NWS warned.
Waves of 6 to 10 feet are expected off Southern Bristol County, while Plymouth and Barnstable counties will see waves of 4 to 8 feet.
A small craft advisory also remains in place through Thursday morning, then it will transition to a gale watch through Friday evening.
Boston 25 News Meteorologist Vicki Graf warned that boaters and beachgoers should take precautions and stay updated with local advisories.
The Boston 25 Weather team will continue to track Erin, providing updates online and on-air.
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