Hurricane Erin swells tides and floods beaches on Long Island's south shore
At Jones Beach, water from the Atlantic surged past its usual boundaries, reaching the boardwalk in some areas and nearly touching the parking lot at Field 6.
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Hurricane Erin passed offshore Thursday evening, but its effects were felt all along Long Island’s south shore. Massive waves and unusually high tides turned popular beaches into temporary lakes.
At Jones Beach, water from the Atlantic surged past its usual boundaries, reaching the boardwalk in some areas and nearly touching the parking lot at Field 6.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life here,” said Gina Valenze, of Massapequa.
Powerful surf and dangerous rip currents kept swimmers out of the water entirely. Local officials closed beaches to recreational swimming, citing hazardous conditions.
“We’ve got extreme high rip currents,” said Long Beach Chief Lifeguard Rich Borawski. “There is absolutely no bathing in the water. We’ve been enforcing that all day today and all day yesterday.”
The storm also raised concerns about long-term effects. With beaches inundated and waves relentlessly pounding the shore, erosion is a key worry for park officials.
“That’s always a concern of ours,” said Jones Beach Park Director Jeff Mason. “We have a wait-and-see attitude right now because we’ve got to wait and see.”
As of Thursday night, no decision had been made regarding swimming conditions for the following day. Lifeguards plan to assess the surf in the morning before determining whether it is safe to reopen the beaches to the public.
