Surfers Ignore Rip Current Alerts, Head To NYC Beaches Despite Warnings From City Officials
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – New York City beaches are closed today as the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian impacts our area.
The worst of the wind and rain is over, but don't let that fool you. Dangerous rip currents and rough surf remain.
CBS2's Marc Liverman reported from Rockaway Beach in Queens, where not everyone has been heeding those warnings. Parks department employees and police officers couldn't convince everyone to get out of the water.
"They're doing their job, but there's not much they can do," one surfer told CBS2.
MORE: NYC Beaches Closed To Swimming, Surfing Due To Rip Current Risks
Despite all the city beaches and some along the Jersey Shore being closed Friday and Saturday, some defiant surfers weren't going anywhere.
"The surf is really good right now," surfer Soyoun Kim said. "Hurricane and the waves come, like actual waves."
Atlantic beaches could see swells up to 10 feet this weekend, even as Dorian moves farther up the coast, according to the National Weather Service.
HOW TO HELP: Relief For People And Pets In Harm's Way
The hurricane made landfall for the first time Friday morning in North Carolina.
Ninety-mile-an-hour winds whipped into the state's Outer Banks. Flooding cut off entire neighborhoods. Some were trapped in their homes.
"It's coming into the house. It's coming in under the door," one homeowner said.
Click here to check the forecast and weather alerts.
Nearly 800 people had to be rescued off Ocracoke Island after a storm surge forced them to higher ground.
"The water levels rose so fast. I would say within 30 minutes, we had four feet of water and it just kept rising," said resident Benny Lacks.
Hurricane and tropical storm warnings and watches are in effect all the way up the Eastern Seaboard into Canada through the weekend.
Click here for more information on the beach closures, or here to find a public pool near you.
