Hurricane Earl is expected to sweep its way along the New England coast on Friday evening and make its exit on Saturday. Here in New England it’s an unofficial tradition to go to the beach to see the huge waves and damage left in the hurricane’s wake. Though the surging waves are a sight to see, they can also pose danger, even to those who just watch from the sidelines.
Beware of strong currents, riptides and rogue waves at local beaches
However, officials are warning beachgoers to be cautious in or near the water, even after Earl moves out of the area. Hurricanes and tropical storms like Earl leave coastal waters in an unpredictable frenzy that can be very dangerous. As reported on New England Cable News, the rip currents and surging seas from Earl are expected to stick around throughout the Labor Day weekend..
Gloucester fishermen swept out to sea by rogue wave earlier this week
Earlier this week, two fishermen in Gloucester were swept out to sea by a rogue wave after a tropical storm and one of them died. Another example public officials cite is a rogue wave that swept a group of wave watchers out to sea last summer at Acadia National Park in Maine, which resulted in the death of a seven-year-old girl
The bottom line is, though Hurricane Earl is expected to be downgraded to a Category One storm and a tropical storm in some instances when it reaches New England, it is still a powerful and dangerous storm and caution is the best approach. Even if the sun is out the surf will be heavy. Don’t get swept away, either literally or figuratively, by Hurricane Earl and its wake.
Related articles:
Hurricane Earl threatens Cape and islands
Governor Deval Patrick says state of emergency still on in MA due to threat of Hurricane Earl
Comments
I'm always surprised at how stupid some people can be when it comes to big waves. Yes it is a sight to see when the ocean is turbulent and crashing bigger and better than normal. But humans are no match for rogue waves, riptides, and strong ocean currents. Better to watch through binoculars at a safe distance.
Hope things settle down soon!
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