August 19, 2025
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
Several Jersey Shore towns, including Wildwood, above, have issued swimming bans ahead of the expected high waves and rip currents from Hurricane Erin.
Jersey Shore towns are keeping beachgoers out of the water this week as Hurricane Erin brings dangerous surf conditions.
The National Weather Service has issued a high rip current risk warning, which is in effect until Wednesday evening. Wildwood, Belmar, Bay Head and Island Beach State Park have swimming bans in place as of Tuesday morning, with most of them lasting until Thursday. Atlantic City is only allowing knee-deep wading.
The storm is expected to move up the Atlantic Coast from Florida up to Canada. Although it is expected to remain offshore, towns along the East Coast are keeping people out of the water due to high waves and expected rip currents. Hurricane Erin is a Category 3 storm with 115 mph winds and gusts up to 155 mph, USA Today reported.
The precautions follow two deadly incidents at the Jersey Shore last week. On Monday, five people had to be pulled from the water in Seaside Heights. One of them, a 31-year-old Trenton man, died. On Friday, a 13-year-old girl drowned in the waters off of Eighth Avenue beach in Belmar.
Towns that are still allowing swimming have cautioned beachgoers to only head into the water when lifeguards are on duty and to pay attention to flag warnings.
If you are caught in a rip current, that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says to remain calm, signal for help and refrain from swimming against the current. Instead, swim out of it by moving parallel along the beach and move with the breaking waves back to shore at an angle.
