Forecaster: Hurricane Gert to have little impact on Long Island

Forecasters say Gert, the second hurricane of the season in the Atlantic Ocean, has begun its trek up to the northeastern United States — but local meteorologists predict little, if any, impact on Long Island.

The National Hurricane Center said Gert was about 420 miles west of Bermuda at midday Monday and had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The storm was moving north-northeast at 10 mph.

By 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Carlie Buccola, of the National Weather Service based in Upton, the storm system was about 385 miles northwest of Bermuda — but moving steadily away from the U.S. coast. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.

“It’s going to stay well off shore,” she said. “There’s no impact whatsoever on land.”

Swells generated by Gert will spread northward along the East Coast of the United States from North Carolina to New York.

Swells may cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions in some places.

But Buccola said Long Island should see few adverse effects aside from stronger ocean currents.

“It’s just going to bring in high surf to us,” she said. “That’s really the only impact we would see.”

— With AP