Where is Hurricane Erin? Rip currents, rough surf making Florida beaches dangerous

Desmond Milligan · August 20

Hurricane Erin is located east of Florida Wednesday morning, Aug. 20, as it continues to move north-northwest, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Erin weakened more overnight, with maximum sustained winds down to 100 mph. It remains a Category 2 hurricane, down from its peak as a Category 5 storm with 160-mph winds Aug. 16.

Dangerous rip currents are expected along U.S. east coast beaches from Florida to Canada.

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Conditions are expected to deteriorate along the eastern seaboard as Erin brings life-threatening surf and rip currents from Florida to Canada.

Officials are encouraging residents to monitor the storm closely and make sure they're prepared.

➤ Don't have a hurricane supply kit? From the basics to the extras, here's what you need

Where is Hurricane Erin going? See projected path

Special note on the NHC cone: The forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.

Hurricane Erin spaghetti models

Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

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➤ How often has Florida been impacted, threatened by August hurricanes? We took a look back

Hurricane Erin storm tracker, path

Satellite view of Hurricane Erin

Expected peak storm surge expected from Hurricane Erin

Track all active Atlantic storms and disturbances

What should you do now to prepare for hurricane season?

Be prepared before there's a storm coming.

Officials regularly encourage Florida residents to prepare for storms before a hurricane is approaching while shelves are full stocked and you aren't battling crowds all rushing to the store at the same time.

➤ Don't have a hurricane supply kit? From the basics to the extras, here's what you need

"It only takes one storm to make it an impactful year for your community," the National Hurricane Center Miami posted on X. "Hurricane season is a marathon, not a sprint."

On Aug. 1, specific hurricane supplies became permanently tax free in Florida, ranging from batteries to generators.

➤ See list of emergency supplies you can now buy tax free

Florida weather radar for Aug. 20, 2025

Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida

When is the Atlantic hurricane season?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

Ninety-seven percent of tropical cyclone activity occurs during this time period, NOAA said.

The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories.

When is the peak of hurricane season?

Hurricane season's ultimate peak is Sept. 10 but the season goes through Nov. 30. Credit: NOAA

The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.

Hurricane names for 2025 season

Here are the names for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, along with how to pronounce them:

~~Andrea~~ (June 20)
~~Barry~~ (June 29)
~~Chantal~~ (July 5)
~~Dexter~~ (Aug. 3)
Erin: AIR-rin (Tropical storm: Aug. 11; Hurricane: Aug. 15; Major hurricane Aug. 16)
Fernand: fair-NAHN
Gabrielle: ga-bree-ELL
Humberto: oom-BAIR-toh
Imelda: ee-MEHL-dah
Jerry: JEHR-ee
Karen: KAIR-ren
Lorenzo: loh-REN-zoh
Melissa: meh-LIH-suh
Nestor: NES-tor
Olga: OAL-guh
Pablo: PAHB-lo
Rebekah: reh-BEH-kuh
Sebastien: se-BAS-tee-en
Tanya: TAHN-yuh
Van: van
Wendy: WEN-dee