Most Nassau, Suffolk county beaches open Friday

All but one of this season's operating beaches in Nassau County are open, after 18 had been closed as a precautionary measure in the wake of Wednesday's rainfall, county health officials said Friday.

Storm water runoff can sweep bacteria and pathogens into local streams and bays, causing bacterial levels to spike, according to health officials.

Philip Healey Beach in Massapequa remains closed to bathing because of elevated levels of bacteria.

A rain advisory issued Wednesday against swimming at 66 Suffolk County beaches has been rescinded for all but Corey Beach in the Town of Brookhaven, according to the county's Beach Hot Line at 631-852-5822.

Corey Beach remains closed because of the presence of "swimmers itch," which is "a dermatitis that develops on exposed areas of the skin after contact with waters containing cercaria (larval forms) of avian schistosomes (parasitic flatworms)," according to the health department website. "The rash and itching usually disappear within a week of infection, depending on the degree of exposure and the individual's sensitivity," the site says.