Swimming allowed again at Jones Beach, Robert Moses and Hither Hills 

As Long Islanders ready for their last summer fling — three gloriously warm, sunny days over Labor Day Weekend — they can go into the water again.

Dangerous surf and flooding from Hurricane Franklin had earlier this week forced closure of three major South Shore state park beaches, with closures or restrictions at some municipal beaches as well. 

But by Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service had downgraded its rip current risk from high to moderate and most beaches were open. "I will be taking a swim today," said beachgoer Christopher Akley, of Farmingdale, at Robert Moses Field 5. "Kids are playing in it, people are enjoying it, so it’s actually fine."

A news release from Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said state lifeguards and staff had determined conditions were safe for swimming Friday at Robert Moses, Jones Beach and Hither Hills State Park. All three had experienced rough surf and rip currents, with flooding and erosion at the Jones Beach beachfront and impassable areas at Robert Moses and Hither Hills. 

Hurricane Franklin — now downgraded to an extratropical cyclone barreling out to sea northeast of Bermuda — had combined with a rare blue supermoon to create those conditions, state officials said.

George Gorman, Long Island regional director of the state's Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said Friday that isolated pools of water could remain for several days at some beaches, but that they would probably be too small and too few to affect beach capacity.

Beach attendance was expected to be strong with temperatures predicted to rise to 85 on Labor Day, but because the holiday coincides with the start of school for many children, it is not one of the busiest beach weekends, Gorman said. 

State workers used bulldozers this week to dig trenches to drain hundreds of thousands of gallons of standing seawater at Jones Beach. That work is time-consuming because they must close the trenches at high tide to prevent the pools from refilling, Gorman said. 

As for the rip currents: "If lifeguards do see a risk, they will move swimmers away from the rip currents," Gorman said. "They will do that each time they see a rip current form." 

Some municipal beaches, like those in Hempstead and Long Beach, opened Friday for waist-deep swimming only. 

Blue caution flags flew in Southampton Town to indicate moderate hazard. “The surf is regular-sized — it’s calmed down a lot the past couple of days,” said Parks Director Kristen Doulos.

Mecox Beach and W. Scott Cameron Beach, smaller beaches that tend to draw fewer people, were closed because some of the students who work as lifeguards and beach attendants for the town have gone back to school, she said.

In Oyster Bay, Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said Tobay Beach was open — and that the addition of as much as 40,000 tons of sand at town beaches before the season meant that flooding was not a problem. "Our beaches are open throughout this beautiful weekend and for the next two weekends that follow," he said. "Summer is far from over in the Town of Oyster Bay." 

Daytime high temperatures were expected to climb to 77 Saturday, 84 Sunday and 86 Monday for the Labor Day holiday, according to the National Weather Service.