Hurricane Erin never hit land or caused major damage, but threatened turtle nests weren't so lucky

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By HALLIE GOLDEN
Updated 11:57 PM CDT, August 22, 2025

As Hurricane Erin pelted North Carolina’s barrier islands with strong winds and waves this week, it destroyed many nests of threatened sea turtles, burying the eggs deep in sand or washing them out to sea.

On Topsail Island more than half the 43 loggerhead turtle nests were lost in the storm, according to Terry Meyer, conservation director for the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.

“I didn’t anticipate the water table being so high and the eggs being just literally sitting in water when we got to them,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve seen that on such a wide scale.”

Erin never made landfall and caused no widespread damage to infrastructure despite being twice the size of an average hurricane. But the turtles were not so lucky.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/sea-turtle-nests-destroyed-hurricane-erin-ae4764ec0d51f82724c9850db9fa01a1

[GreenWave]

1. Imagine a 600 mile wide Erin getting closer, holding in a 20 foot storm surge.

Orange sharpie couldn't save us.

[twodogsbarking]

2. Thank you to those kind folks helping. We keep treating the wound but not the infection.

The times are a changin'

[littlemissmartypants]

3. Thanks for sharing this, OS.

This is my neighborhood and it's heartbreaking. But the world somehow, keeps spinning.

Thanks again. ❤️

[SickOfTheOnePct]

4. Just returned home from Topsail Island today

Happy to report that the nest near our rental home was untouched.

We were in Surf City, about 2.5 miles south of the Surf City bridge, and the surf didn’t pound our part of the island nearly as badly as it did North Topsail Beach.