Hurricane Erin forces Massachusetts beaches to close due to rip currents, strong waves
The impacts from the hurricane are expected to start on Tuesday, with high surf advisories in effect until Tuesday. Waves are expected to reach up to 13 feet.
"Ya, we take it seriously," said Luke Tasiapoulos from Scituate. "When you live around here in these areas, you take this stuff seriously."
"It's kind of a bummer, I think, because I want to go to the beach, and it's the last week of summer for me. You want to be safe. You don't want to get caught in any rip currents or any big surf or anything," said surfer Broadey Bersford.
It means a sour end to summer for families who wanted to go to two popular Scituate beaches, Peagotty and Minot, both of which are closed due to rough water conditions. Rip currents are expected to worsen in the coming days as well.
"I had no idea the beach was closed," said Bersford. "I mean, I was surfing out there and the surf wasn't very good, the water was kind of warm, but you could see the rip currents in some of the spots, and you could see the difference in the water, and I was like, 'That could be dangerous.'"
The last day Minot Beach will be staffed with lifeguards is on Wednesday, but Pegotty will have lifeguards until Labor Day.
First responders say that the conditions from Hurricane Erin can complicate rescues, so they ask people to remain safe. Officials say they will be keeping an eye on the conditions each day.
On Hampton Beach in New Hampshire, lifeguards rescued 144 people in six days because of rip currents. New Hampshire State Beach Patrol said that on August 12, there were 51 rescues.
None of the victims needed medical attention, according to Patrol Chief Patrick Murphy. He did recommend that anyone wanting to go swimming this week should try to stay near a lifeguard and always follow their instructions.
If you find yourself stuck in a rip current, do not try to swim straight to shore. Instead, try not to panic and swim parallel to shore. This will help you travel out of the rip current grip and not tire yourself out while trying to fight the current.
Officials recommend swimming on beaches with lifeguards and understanding the signs of a rip current, which include a difference in water color, a narrow gap of calmer water around waves, foam or seaweed moving out to sea, and churning choppy water, according to the United States Lifeguard Association.
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