Hermine to bring rain, strong winds and rip tides to Labor Day Weekend
Thanks to an approaching tropical storm, this Labor Day weekend is expected to be windy and soggy — and dangerous for swimmers at the beach, according to the National Weather Service.
The latest forecasts from the National Hurricane Center show Tropical Storm Hermine moving off the North Carolina coast on Saturday and slowly creeping up the eastern seaboard throughout the holiday weekend.
At 11 a.m. Friday, the National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Long Island.
“The primary threats we have are coastal flooding, high surf and strong rip currents,” said meteorologist Carlie Buccola. Even though the storm will not be in our area Saturday, its impacts will start to be felt long before the winds and rains arrive, she said.
“I wouldn’t recommend going into the water at the beach,” she said.
After reaching the coastline, the storm is expected to remain almost stationary off the South Shore starting Sunday, bringing sustained winds of 30 to 35 mph and gusts of up to 45 mph along with heavy rains beginning Saturday night into Sunday morning. The storm made landfall along the Florida coast as a Category 1 hurricane early Friday morning before weakening to a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Local authorities are already prepping for the storm, and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone is scheduled to hold a press conference later this morning to give updates on the county’s storm readiness.
For more information about the dangers of tropical storms and how to prepare for them, visit the National Hurricane Center’s website.
