Hurricane Erin’s Fury Exposes Gaps in Coastal Preparedness and Climate Policies

Hurricane Erin reemerged from the Caribbean as a menacing Category 4 storm, unleashing powerful winds and heavy rains that already knocked out power for over 147,000 Puerto Rican residents and disrupted flights. Although not expected to make direct landfall on the U.S. mainland, its sheer size threatens dangerous surf and rip currents along the East Coast stretching from the Bahamas to Canada.The National Hurricane Center reports sustained hurricane-force winds extending up to 60 miles from Erin’s center, with tropical storm-force winds reaching 230 miles—an expansive area that will expose millions of Americans along vulnerable coastal regions to severe weather hazards....