Beaches across Long Island’s South Shore are taking a beating as Hurricane Erin churns offshore, sending massive waves and a powerful storm surge toward the coastline.

At Jones Beach, waves reaching at least 10 feet in height crashed onto the shore Thursday, pushing seawater all the way up to the boardwalk. The beach has been closed to swimming due to dangerous rip currents and rough surf conditions that officials warn could be life-threatening.

Storm surge and exceptionally high tides have left pools of seawater scattered across the sand, altering the beach landscape and drawing crowds of onlookers—many in awe of the storm’s force.

“It’s mighty powerful, that’s for sure. Fun and scary at the same time,” said Anoush Vargas, of North Massapequa.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life here. It’s amazing,” added Gina Valenze, of Massapequa.

In response to the rising tides, park officials have taken precautionary measures, building sand berms along parts of the boardwalk in an effort to keep floodwaters at bay. Authorities say they’ll be closely monitoring the next several high tide cycles as the storm continues to pass offshore.