Hurricane Erin begins battering Long Island's South Shore, with high surf, rip currents; governor suspends swimming at state's ocean beaches on LI

Hurricane Erin is predicted to turn its wrath northward Wednesday, bypassing the East Coast but making its presence felt on Long Island this week with life-threatening rip currents on ocean beaches, coastal flooding and 10- to 15-foot waves likely to cause widespread erosion.

With the approach of Erin, Gov. Kathy Hochul directed that the state's South Shore ocean beaches, Jones Beach, Robert Moses and Hither Hills state parks, be closed to swimmers at least through Thursday and possibly beyond. 

“With Hurricane Erin causing dangerous surf conditions along our beaches on Long Island, we are taking proactive steps to protect New Yorkers by restricting swimming at state beaches," Hochul said in a news release Tuesday evening. 

The storm, a Category 2 as it churned through the North Atlantic, remained roughly 1,000 miles southeast of Long Island Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. But the large, powerful storm was already battering Long Island's South Shore with high surf and rip currents Tuesday, with the worst impact predicted to come Thursday into Friday as it gets closer.

"Even though the storm may be hundreds of miles away, we still see the effects of possible beach erosion and high surf," said George Gorman, regional director of state parks on Long Island.

The forecast prompted closures and swimming restrictions for ocean beaches from Montauk to Long Beach, including Hither Hills State Park in Montauk and Robert Moses State Park in Babylon as well as Smith Point and Cupsogue county parks.

"Both beaches are closed to swimming Wednesday, August 20, 2025," the Suffolk County Parks Department posted late Tuesday on its Facebook page about Smith Point and Cupsogue. "Please use caution if visiting the beaches and do not enter the water."

On its Instagram page, Southampton Town posted that swimming would be prohibited Wednesday at town ocean beaches “and may be extended as necessary.” Southampton Village Police also issued a similar notice saying swimming would be prohibited at village beaches.

The region is expected to be mostly spared from Erin's winds, clocked at 105 mph Tuesday evening. But there is an isolated chance of flash flooding from heavy downpours moving through Long Island Wednesday night and there will be sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph in coastal areas Thursday into Friday, the weather service said. 

The weather service warned about the potential for moderate coastal flooding to "vulnerable coastal locales," of up to 2 feet for flood-prone regions along the western Great South Bay, Jamaica Bay, and along Peconic and Gardiners bay.

A high surf and rip current risk warning were in effect for southern Nassau and Suffolk counties from 6 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Friday. warning of "dangerous swimming and surfing conditions."

"Life-threatening rip currents are likely for all people entering the surf zone. Anyone visiting the beaches should stay out of the surf. Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water," according to the advisory by the weather service. 

Brookhaven Town Parks and the Town of Hempstead planned to close all ocean beaches Wednesday and Thursday due to high surf and rip currents. 

Long Beach officials had to expand the number of beaches open to surfing in order to keep surfers from running into each other, while limiting swimming to only ankle deep for other swimmers.

Beaches off Fire Island at Watch Hill and Sailors Haven were also closed through Saturday due to dangerous rip currents, said Alexcy Romero, superintendent of Fire Island National Seashore. 

"We've had more rescues this year on shorelines due to riptides," Romero said.

The beaches may reopen earlier once the storm passes, Romero said. Fire Island officials were also prohibiting driving except for essential vehicles to avoid damage and erosion to sand dunes.

The impact on Long Island's oceanfront could be significant, meteorologists said. 

"Widespread areas of dune erosion are likely with localized overwashes during the Thursday evening and Friday morning high tides from a combination of 10-15-foot breaking surf and an elevated storm tide," forecasters said in an update Tuesday evening. 

At Hither Hills and Robert Moses, state park officials said stronger waves closer to shore were already washing away sand, but there was no erosion to dunes yet. At Jones Beach, Gorman said, crews had built a wall of sand in front of the boardwalk and Center Mall from the East Bathhouse to the West Bathouse. Other walkways between dunes were filled with sand and sandbags lined outside buildings.

The Town of Hempstead beach closures include Point Lookout Beach, Lido Beach, Lido Beach West, East Atlantic Beach, Atlantic Beach Estates and Malibu Beach.

Bathing on Tuesday was restricted to "knee high" depths, town officials announced, though about half a dozen surfers were at Lido West around midday enjoying the larger waves.

"While the storm is expected to stay offshore, it'll create hazardous conditions along Long Island’s South Shore through Thursday night," Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti said at a news conference at the Curtis E. Fisher West Marina in Lido Beach. 

Ferretti said that while the weather may be cooler and less humid, "this is absolutely not an invitation to go in the water, it’s not an invitation to go swimming or surf."

Tuesday morning payloaders gathered large piles of sand near the walkover entrances to the beach. The beach is expected to be open Wednesday but without access to the water, Ferretti said. Beach access will be closed on Thursday, with gates to the beach closed. Wednesday afternoon the town plans to push the sand in front of the entrances to inhibit storm surges and to discourage people from using the beach.

"Lifeguards will remain on duty throughout the storm to patrol the coastline and discourage beachgoers from entering the water," Ferretti said. Town officials will decide Thursday whether to reopen the beach on Friday or Saturday, Ferretti said. Officials urged boat owners to make sure their boats are tied up securely. Ferretti said that they expect Lido Beach West to be hardest hit.

At Lido Beach West, around midday, a town work crew rolled up wood and metal storm fences that usually stand between the dunes and the beach.

"We just don't want them to wash out into the ocean during the storm, if God forbid, the tide does go over those dunes," Justine Anderson, Hempstead deputy commissioner for parks, said of the fence removal. "It’s just a safety precaution."

Dozens of beachgoers at Lido Beach West were undeterred by the 16 mph wind that fluttered red and green beach flags, soaking up sun rays and getting their feet wet.

Veronica Khaladzinski, 40, from Hewlett, sat with her 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter on the sand looking out into the waves where her husband Sergey was surfing.

"He's been waiting for these conditions for a while," Khaladzinski said. She said she wasn’t too worried about her husband in the rough waves. "I think he's pretty safe."

It was too rough for her son to get out his Boogie board, she said, but otherwise they were enjoying a day at the beach.

"It’s very nice, very comfortable, beautiful," Khaladzinski said. "A little bit chilly but it's OK."

The larger waves attracted dozens of surfers to Democratic Point at Robert Moses on Tuesday, many who arrived before 7 a.m.

Nick Fay, 23, of Babylon, was one surfer who stayed to surf through the late morning after many had left. Fay said he wanted to take advantage of being one of the few surfers left compared to when the beaches are usually more crowded. 

"When it's like this, there's a little bit more stuff you're looking out for, like how bumpy it is," he said. "It's not as smooth when it's like this windy, but looking to have fun."

Southampton Town officials are preparing for the heavy surf from Hurricane Erin, but are hoping that the storm veers enough off shore to minimize any major impact on Long Island.

"Thankfully it’s mainly tracking offshore, but it’s moved into some fringe wind areas right now," said Ryan Murphy, Southampton’s emergency management administrator. "Our biggest concern right now is coastal erosion and beach overwash flooding in low lying areas."

Southampton homeowners on the waterfront should be watching the surf and the track of the storm for shore erosion, which may depend on how quickly it moves out into the Atlantic, Murphy said.

"This could be viewed as a surfers dream, but hopefully people stay out of the water for their own safety," Murphy said.