2 powerful storms impacting rip currents at the Jersey Shore this Labor Day weekend
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) -- Large crowds and warm weather are in the forecast for Labor Day weekend across the Philadelphia region.
Many are preparing to head to the Shore and beach patrols are warning swimmers to beware of rough surf and rip currents.
In Atlantic City, several rescues have already been made by lifeguards.
On Thursday, swimmers were only allowed in the water up to their knees because of the rip currents and the beach patrol is closely watching the conditions knowing thousands of people are heading to A.C. for Labor Day weekend.
The restrictions will likely stay into at least part of the holiday.
The National Ocean Service says the best way to escape a rip current is to swim parallel to the shore instead of toward it - rather than tiring yourself out swimming against the current.
For the past three days, two powerful storms down south have been churning up the Atlantic Ocean, creating rough and potentially dangerous surf down the Shore.
"Not so calm! Wishing it was nicer, but it's still a nice breeze and you still get the same atmosphere, just can't go as deep in the water," Ashley Adams said.
Lisa Davis came to Atlantic City for the day with her daughters for one last hoorah before heading back to school, but they're staying out of the water with a high rip current risk.
"My husband actually told us last night to be careful and to watch them the whole time because of the storms and they know they stay with me the entire time," Davis said.
The Atlantic City beach patrol has been on high alert all week and lifeguards made several rescues with some swimmers getting caught in the current, and others just blatantly ignored warnings.
"A gentleman that we told numerous times not to go back in the water went in and immediately started drowning," Chief Steve Downey said.
As Hurricane Franklin and Tropical Storm Idalia continue to cause large waves. Even though there are currently restrictions on swimming, most beachgoers are taking it in stride.
"I'm still going to get my feet wet, I'm still gonna come to the beach, I'm still gonna get as few rays of sun that I'm going to get, but I won't go as deep as I would naturally have gone," Adams said.
"We understand why you're here and what you're here for and that's what we're here for is to watch and keep you safe," Downey said.
The beach patrol says this is the time of year that many of the lifeguards already left for school, but most of them are coming back for the holiday weekend, so staffing shouldn't be a problem.
In Atlantic City, 75-80% of the beaches will be open this weekend.
