Hurricane Erin tracker: When and how storm will impact New Jersey, Delaware beaches
Hurricane Erin latest down the Jersey Show: How long will it last?
FOX 29's Greg Payne and Kathy Orr provide an extensive breakdown of how Hurricane Erin is impacting the Jersey Shore.
PHILADELPHIA - Officials are warning millions of people up and down the East Coast to prepare for impacts from Hurricane Erin as the large Category 3 hurricane continues across the Atlantic Ocean and draws closer to the U.S.
While Hurricane Erin is not expected to make landfall in the U.S., it will still pose a variety of threats to beachgoers in New Jersey and Delaware throughout the week.
Will Hurricane Erin hit the Jersey shore?
How Hurricane Erin will impact Jersey shore, Delaware beaches this week
FOX 29's Scott Williams has a look at the seven-day forecast as well as how Hurricane Erin will have local impacts even as it's expected to stay off the coast as it moves north.
Local perspective:
On its current track, Erin is expected to run parallel along the Eastern Seaboard, meaning it's not expected to make a landfall, according to FOX 29's Scott Williams and FOX Weather Models.
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These beaches are closed to swimmers in NJ, Delaware as Hurricane Erin approaches
Several beaches in the Northeast have closed to swimmers for the week as Hurricane Eric begins to travel closer to the U.S.
However, we'll still feel its impacts, as life-threatening surf and dangerous rip currents are forecast to threaten the area all week.
What to expect
- Increasing wave heights of 5-8 feet on Wednesday, increasing to as high as 7-12 feet on Thursday
- Dangerous rip currents
- Beach erosion
- Coastal flooding in some areas
These rip currents pose real dangers to swimmers. Earlier this month, one person died and six were rescued from rip currents in Seaside Heights. In nearby Berkeley Township this weekend, two swimmers were rescued after getting caught in rip currents. Also on Friday, a 13-year-old girl drowned in Belmar, New Jersey, though the cause of death remains under investigation.
Erin Tracker: Where is Erin today?
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 NHC said a turn toward the north-northwest with an increase in forward speed is expected on Tuesday, followed by a northward motion on Wednesday and then a northeastward motion on Thursday.
On that track, 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.
Timeline: When will Erin's impact be felt in New Jersey, Delaware?
Timeline:
Here's a look at what to expect at the Jersey Shore and Delaware beaches for the rest of the week, as some New Jersey beaches have already announced swimming closures, and even a temporary bridge closure as a result of Hurricane Erin.
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.
Tuesday
High rip current risks will remain in effect through Wednesday evening for all Delaware and New Jersey beaches. The National Weather Service is urging beach goers to stay out of the water and heed the advice of the local beach patrol and flag warning systems. Wave heights are expected to reach between 4-6 feet.
Wednesday
Along with high rip current risks that will be in effect through Wednesday evening, high surf advisories will be in effect from 6 a.m. Wednesdays through 6 a.m. Friday. Large breaking waves of up to 8 feet are expected in the surf zone on Wednesday.
Thursday
Surf heights kick up another notch with breaking waves of up to 10 feet expected in the surf zone on Thursday.
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 referenced the 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.
Local perspective:
"We had the plan and honestly I didn’t know the weather was going to be like this, but it’s not too bad, it’s pretty nice, a little cold," said Domenick Ferriolo of Gibbsboro.
On top of the lack of sun, thanks to Hurricane Erin, the water is very choppy.
That’s the reason you’ll find the red flags flying at Margate City Beach and other beaches down the shore, encouraging people to not swim in the water because of dangerous rip currents.
"Definitely a little choppy out there. We went out there and the lifeguard ran over and was like, you guys can’t be out in the water, but we wanted to see how cold it was," said Ferriolo.
There were many others that tried getting in, which is the reason Margate City Beach Patrol lifeguard Melana Rush was in the move several times during her shift.
"As soon as someone gets about knee-deep, we worry about the rips and even just the waves knocking them over and them getting sucked out in a rip current," said Rush.
With that concern top of mind, many find alternative things to do.
Everything from walking the dog, to digging holes in the sand, flying kites and scanning the beach with metal detectors.
"My wife was like, if I’m going to be stupid enough to go out and try to boogie board in this, she was like, I’ll see you on the news," said Marc Kirshman of Oley.
Beach patrol officials say the conditions may look very deceiving, and they encourage people not to go in the water, especially if you are not a very strong swimmer.
Biggest US Threats from Hurricane Erin
Big picture view:
Outer bands from the massive storm could lash the North Carolina coastline with tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rain as it passes by the Outer Banks.
Because of the danger, officials in some North Carolina communities have told residents and visitors to evacuate and declared local states of emergency ahead of possible life-threatening impacts.
Officials said that with the forecast showing the potential for tropical-storm-force winds, dangerous surf with waves of 15-20 feet at local beaches, flooding of roads and neighborhoods and rip currents along the Outer Banks, officials in some counties announced evacuation orders over the weekend.
Hyde County declared a local state of emergency for Ocracoke Island, and a mandatory evacuation order was issued for visitors on Sunday night and for residents on Tuesday morning.
Dare County also declared a state of emergency and ordered the evacuation of Hatteras Island, which includes the communities of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras. Visitors began to evacuate on Monday, and residents started their evacuation on Tuesday morning.
Because of the danger, a Tropical Storm Watch and a Storm Surge Watch were issued for the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The Tropical Storm Watch was in effect from Beaufort Inlet to Duck, North Carolina, including Pamlico Sound.
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A Storm Surge Watch is also in place for Cape Lookout to Duck, North Carolina, as the combination of a dangerous storm surge of 2-4 feet and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.
A spokesperson for Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, told FOX Weather their rescue crews conducted nearly 60 water rescues on Monday due to strong rip currents. The town has now told all beachgoers to stay out of the water from Tuesday through Friday as Erin gets even closer.