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Jersey shore communities bracing for Hurricane Erin's impacts
Beaches along the Jersey shore are closed to swimmers as dangerous rip currents and high surf are expected through the week as Hurricane Erin moves north off the coast.
NEW JERSEY - Hurricane Erin is not expected to make landfall, but the East Coast is still feeling threats from the Category 3 storm, especially those in local beach towns.
Beaches ban swimming
What we know:
Several beaches in the Northeast have closed to swimmers for the week as Hurricane Eric begins to travel closer to the U.S.
In New Jersey, both Wildwood and Margate have prohibited swimming on all beaches until further notice.
Officials are urging beachgoers to stay out of the water and heed all warnings from lifeguards, who will still be on duty.
"To ensure the safety of everyone, including those who may be called to perform a rescue, please stay on the sand until the storm passes later this week," the City of Wildwood posted on social media on Monday.
Island Beach State Park also suspended all activities, including swimming, surfing, boogie boarding, mobile sports fishing vehicles and all nature center programs, until at least Thursday.
Hurricane Erin tracker: When and how storm will impact New Jersey, Delaware beaches
As millions of people along the East Coast prepare for impacts from Hurricane Erin, coastal communities in New Jersey and Delaware are facing dangerous rip currents and high surf risks.
In Delaware, Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach have issued swimming prohibitions, while Fenwick Island has restricted beach access.
"Our guards will be monitoring conditions and will reopen the beach once the storm passes," the Town of Fenwick said on Monday.
Rip current risk
Local perspective:
A high rip current risk is in effect for the Jersey Shore through Wednesday evening, according to the National Weather Service.
Rip currents are strong, narrow, seaward flows of water that extend from close to the shoreline to outside the surf zone.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy urged residents and visitors to avoid swimming and wading over the next several days due to dangerous rip currents and high waves.
They pose real dangers to those swimming in beach water, and could become deadly, with over 100 deaths attributed to rip currents in the U.S. every year, according to the United States Lifesaving Association.
High surf advisory
Dig deeper:
The NWS has issued a high surf advisory for all Atlantic Ocean beaches for Wednesday and Thursday with a possible extension further into the week.
Ocean seas are expected to build to 11–15 feet and higher by Friday morning, before subsiding into the weekend.
On Thursday and Friday, the weather service says to expect dangerous conditions near inlets, and possibly gale-force wind gusts.
Hurricane Erin impact to Jersey Shore prompts beach, bridge closures
From dangerous riptides to 40 mph winds, Hurricane Erin is already causing problems down the Jersey Shore.
Gov. Murphy's warning: Don't go into the water'
What they're saying:
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy held a press briefing Tuesday morning to address the rip current risk posed by Hurricane Erin.
He noted that while the rip currents would be strong and surf would be high, overall the weather would be nice over the next several days as the storm moves off the coast.
"We are worried therefore, in a big way, about human nature and complacency," Murphy said. "We've already had a very tough riptide summer, particularly over the past several weeks."
Murphy pointed to two drowning incidents over the past few weeks in Seaside Heights and Belmar.
"We've had stories all summer long of dangerous rip currents and riptides. That will intensify to a very high level, in fact, it's intensifying as we speak," Murphy added.
The governor also added that surf at the shore would be increasing in height over the next several days, with waves of up to 10 feet or more possible.
"This is no time to be complacent. I would just say to you flat out, don't go into the water," he said.
Tracking Hurricane Erin
Timeline:
As of Tuesday morning, Hurricane Erin is located about 750 miles to the south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and is moving off to the northwest at 7 mph.
The center of Hurricane Erin is expected to pass to the east of the Bahamas on Tuesday and Tuesday night, and then move over the western Atlantic between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the National Weather Service and social media for local beach towns.