Gov. Kathy Hochul suspended swimming at three Long Island state beaches as rough surf and rip tides and flooding as the effects of faraway storms continue to hit the region.
New York City officials also issued a coastal flood advisory and warned that life-threatening rip currents could be present through Thursday. They advised against swimming in areas without lifeguards.
But weather officials said they were hopeful the waters will calm in time for Labor Day weekend.
The choppy water is due to Hurricanes Franklin and Idalia — even though neither storm is due to come within 500 miles of New York waterways. Franklin reached hurricane strength at the start of the week, as the cyclone churned upward from the tropics into the North Atlantic. Hurricane Idalia trailed not too far behind, making landfall on Florida’s panhandle Wednesday morning. It’s due to travel through The South and then exit due east over the Carolinas.
Despite their distance, both storms are creating swell waves — giant rolling masses of water that can travel long distances. When those swells encounter shore, the water tries to push as far up land as it can, causing high surf. But what goes up must come down, leading to the opposite effect: hazardous rip tides that can pull unsuspecting swimmers out to sea.
“A high surf advisory is in effect for Suffolk County beaches right now through 6:00 PM Thursday,” said Dominic Ramunni, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s New York office on Long Island. “That’s for six-to-eight-foot surf along the shore.”
Ramunni said he expects the high surf and rip tides to be smaller but still elevated on Friday, but conditions should quiet down by the weekend.
“Those storms will exit and remain well offshore and we will see high pressure move in over the region, above us. That sets us up for almost a beautiful Labor Day weekend,” Ramunni said.
This story will be updated.
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