Top news headlines for Wednesday night, August 20
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CBS News
23 minutes ago
- CBS News
Gov. Murphy declares state of emergency in N.J. as high surf from Hurricane Erin combines with high tide
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Erin brings high surf and dangerous rip currents to beaches along the East Coast. Officials said parts of New Jersey will experience sustained winds of up to 50 mph, waves on the Jersey shore may be as high as 17 feet, and flood-prone areas may see up to three feet of water. The state of emergency took effect at 2 p.m. Thursday. "Over the past couple of days, we have seen the effects of Hurricane Erin along the Jersey Shore in the form of dangerous rip tides. Today and tomorrow will be no exception," Murphy said. "As the storm moves past New Jersey over the next 24 hours, we are expecting high surf and rip currents, coastal and flash flooding, and a high erosion risk in parts of the state. We ask all New Jerseyans to monitor local weather forecasts and warnings and stay informed on evacuation protocols, especially if you're down the Shore." A coastal flood warning is now in effect for the Jersey Shore and New York's south-facing beaches. Many beaches are closed to swimming, and officials are urging people to avoid the water. The flood risk increases Thursday into Friday, when high waves coincide with high tide. Thursday is a First Alert Weather Day as CBS New York keeps a close eye on the storm and its track. While Hurricane Erin is forecast to stay hundreds of miles offshore, the East Coast is still feeling its indirect impacts. Towns along the Jersey Shore have been preparing for the storm, telling people to move their cars to higher ground before the water levels rise. Residents have also been asked to secure their outdoor furniture and check on their boats, docks and slips to make sure they are tied up tight. In Sea Bright, which sits between the Atlantic Ocean and two rivers, residents say they're hopeful rock barriers along the ocean and metal bulkheads placed along the Shrewsbury River after Superstorm Sandy will help keep them safe. Waves are expected to reach 7 to 12 feet, and flooding is most likely around high tide which is expected between 6 p.m and 7 p.m. Swimming is not allowed, but lifeguards will be patrolling to make sure people don't take any chances. The concern is about possible coastal flooding. At Manasquan Inlet Beach, waves crashing against the rocks were massive. Winds form Hurricane Erin were also kicking up the sand, and beachgoers could feel it hitting them in the face. Streets around Watson Creek could also be inundated with water. A lot of people came to the beach to watch the power of mother nature in the churning ocean. "The wind is very strong. We're, like, both falling over, and the sand is, like, hitting us," Savannah Gill said. Earlier this week, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy told beachgoers, "don't go in the water." Thursday. He said the worst impacts of the storm on the Garden State are expected Thursday into Friday. Coastal flood warning are in effect from Monmouth to Cape May counties. Erin has also prompted New York officials to shut down beaches in New York City and some on Long Island. Long Island officials discussed their emergency preparedness for the hurricane season in a rare joint appearance. The two gave a unified message about the importance of hurricane preparedness as they ready for beach erosion and possible flooding. In Nassau County, nuisance flooding may take place in areas like Long Beach and Freeport. In Suffolk, Fire Island and Mantauk are being closely watched. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said, with Erin being the first hurricane of the season, it's important that all Long Islanders have a plan. "Just in case, if you live along the shore or in a low-lying area, please make sure that you have water. Have a plan to leave, God forbid we should have to make that determination. Have a place to go. Keep non-perishable food and manual can openers available. In case there's a power outage, make sure you have flashlights and batteries. Do not, do not use candles," Blakeman said. "We're prepared for this hurricane as best we can. It's not going to do a lot of damage, but it will create erosion. It will create flooding," Romaine said. They emphasized pet preparedness too. The island is expecting even bigger waves -- up to 16 feet in some areas -- and water levels will be 2 to 2.5 feet above normal. Towns like Southampton and Quogue have declared states of emergency. Crews have been using truckloads of sand to reinforce dunes, fearing the heavy surf will erode beaches and damage shoreline properties. Wind gusts up to 30-40 mph along the coast could also bring down trees or power lines, especially with the ground saturated from recent rain. Neither county is declaring a state of emergency or any kind of evacuations, but it's Mother Nature, so things could change. Click here for the latest forecast, live radar and weather alerts from our First Alert Weather Lewis contributed to this report.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erin flooding, rip current threat to peak Thursday night
NEW YORK — The coastal flooding threat from Hurricane Erin will peak with Thursday night's high tide, and dangers from the storm will continue into Friday, meteorologists said. Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the closure of all New York state beaches through Thursday night, but the National Weather Service warned of rip currents throughout the region until 8 p.m. Friday. 'The threat for beach flooding, beach erosion and escarpment and areas of dune erosion will increase with successive high tides through tonight,' NWS forecasters warned Thursday. 'This high surf will be combined with elevated water levels as we approach a new moon.' Waves are expected to peak at 12-16 feet high on Long Island on Thursday night, with high tide times varying up and down the island. Coastal communities in southern Queens and Brooklyn could experience flooding. Hurricane Erin is expected to move further out to sea on Friday, and the storm is not predicted to make landfall. The storm is still making impacts along the East Coast because of its massive size, measuring nearly 600 miles in diameter,which is twice as big as an average hurricane. Even as Erin has made its way north, the storm has continued kicking up rip currents up and down the coast. The National Weather Service warned of dangerous ocean conditions from Maine to South Florida on Thursday. Rip currents are expected to remain a threat to the tri-state area through Friday, even if beaches finally reopen. By Saturday, conditions are expected to be back to normal.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
North Texas returns to summer heat before highs fall to the mid-80s next week
Thursday started out dry with sunny skies across North Texas and a cold front to the south. Temperatures will warm into the mid-90s Thursday afternoon, but high humidity will push feels-like temperatures to near 100. An isolated storm is possible in the afternoon afternoon, but most areas will remain day. Spotty storms are possible again Friday. The region will dry out for the weekend, with sunny skies and temperatures back in the upper 90s. Next week brings big changes, with a cold front moving into the area bringing rain, storms and cooler temperatures.
