City warns in opposition to swimming as hurricane churns offshore

Hurricane Erin, churning offshore Friday, despatched highly effective waves and rip currents crashing onto New York City’s seashores, prompting officers to ban swimming.

Beachgoers have been nonetheless allowed on the sand, however metropolis officers stated surf situations have been too harmful to enter the water. At Rockaway Beach, the warnings didn’t cease surfers, who known as the situations preferrred.

“You see the waves are breaking top to bottom,” stated Christopher Gaby, who was browsing close to Beach 84th Street Friday. “I mean, obviously, it’s not a day for swimming. You know, this is for surfers.”

Some described the surf as in contrast to something usually seen within the metropolis. 

“Looks like Hawaii out there, looks like Indonesia,” stated Jeffrey Wrentschler, one other surfer watching from a distance.

Officials stated waves might attain as much as 16 toes alongside components of the shoreline. New York City Emergency Management urged residents to keep away from the water, warning that rip currents can rapidly pull even skilled swimmers away from shore.

“The danger for me is I’m gonna get yelled at by the surfers that are much better than me,” Wrentschler joked.

Patrick Kern, who used to stay in New York and returned from Maryland for the storm, stated he didn’t need to miss the chance.

“The winds are really good, you can see that the water is not choppy at all, and the waves are really smooth and clean,” he stated.

Even seasoned surfers acknowledged the hazards.

“There’s a big current ripping so you gotta keep moving, or you’ll be halfway down the beach in a minute,” stated Connor Brala. “Not the day to try to learn how to surf.”

Some surfers stated they have been hoping the storm would keep far sufficient offshore to carry waves with out critical flooding or injury. 

“This is what we wait for all year around,” Gaby stated. “This is the best time, coming into now, until the winter. And even the winter is good too. But this is hurricane season and especially when they stay offshore like this, and they bring good waves and really not a lot of flooding here to New York and damage, we’re stoked for that.”

Hurricane season, which peaks in about two weeks, runs till the top of November.