Rip current risk along Lowcountry beaches remains high as Erin moves away

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Though Hurricane Erin is moving away from the United States, its effects are still posing danger along the Lowcountry coastline.

The Live 5 First Alert Weather team has been tracking dangerous ocean conditions including life-threatening rip currents and high surf all week as Erin strengthened into a major hurricane.

The highest risk of rip currents is expected to continue through Friday, but there will still be a moderate risk throughout the weekend.

Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, reached an exceedingly dangerous Category 5 status Saturday with maximum winds of 160 mph, swiftly growing in size and power from a tropical storm just 24 hours earlier.

As of Friday, it had weakened to a Category 1 hurricane.

Erin continues path away from U.S.

As of 5 a.m. Friday, the center of Hurricane Erin was near latitude 38.6 north, longitude 65.3 west.

Erin is moving toward the northeast at near 22 mph. A turn toward the east-northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected later on Friday, followed by a turn back to the northeast on Sunday.

On the forecast track, the center of Erin will pass south of Atlantic Canada Friday and Friday night, and then race across the north Atlantic waters.

Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph with higher gusts.

Erin is likely to become post-tropical by Friday night but remain a powerful hurricane-force low-pressure system through the weekend.

Erin remains a very large hurricane with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 125 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 370 miles.

A wind gust to 56 mph was recently reported at the L. F. Wade International Airport on Bermuda.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 956 mb or 28.23 inches.