The storm’s altered course eased the threat of heavy rain, but Hermine maintained enough power to whip up risky waves and rip currents and keep beaches off-limits to disappointed swimmers and surfers on the Labor Day weekend.
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Hermine is expected to begin weakening as it churns hundreds of miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean, but forecasters warn it could continue to impact areas from NY to southern New England with pounding waves, coastal flooding and beach erosion before it moves out to sea.
Hermine (her-MEEN) rose up over the Gulf of Mexico and hit Florida on Friday as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm across Georgia.
Hermine, which was downgraded to a Post-Tropical Cyclone, is expected to “meander slowly” off the coast of Long Island until it moves north east on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. No significant rainfall was expected for the area, although scattered rain may occur in some parts of southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Tyrrell County Sheriff Darryl Liverman said that high winds tipped over t.
The National Hurricane Center has discontinued the Prototype Storm Surge Watch for the coast of CT.
Despite the news being pretty good for most of the state, the storm is still expected to cause tidal flooding and even driving water inland in some areas of the state.
Hermine was the first hurricane to strike Florida in more than a decade, and is responsible for two deaths – one in Florida and one in North Carolina.
“It’s going to sit offshore and it is going to be a tremendous coastal event with a unsafe storm surge and lots of larger waves probably causing significant beach erosion, for the next few days”, said Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist at the center.
Hermine had tropical storm force winds extending about 205 miles from its center on Sunday morning.
Officials in Atlantic City, New Jersey, canceled weekend concerts and beaches were closed in several communities.
Governors all along the Eastern Seaboard announced emergency preparations.
Speaking at a news conference in Morristown on Sunday, Gov. Chris Christie warned that minor to moderate flooding was still likely in coastal areas.
The storm, now heading north by northeast, is expected to take a northern or northwestern turn. But he notes that an about 900,000 additional people are on the islands for the holiday weekend, and he says it’s important to monitor Hermine’s track for any shifts that could impact New Jersey. But no flooding or other damage was reported.
Weather.com also warned that since Hermine was a slow-moving storm, it had more of an opportunity to change course and cause more of a threat than originally anticipated.
The National Weather Service at midday Tuesday discontinued the tropical storm warning associated with the Hermine, which was about 150 miles southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and moving west at 3 mph.
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Greg and Margee Germaine weren’t letting Hermine ruin their wedding anniversary celebration Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey. A homeless man was killed by a falling tree on Friday in Florida.
