Well that turned out to be nothing, for Long Island at least. Hurricane Earl was ready to whip the east end with big winds and heavy rainfall, and then it fizzled on Friday. But we were prepared.
Due to the effects of Hurricane Earl, Suffolk County closed ocean beaches to swimmers, but at Robert Moses State Park in Babylon, N.Y., lifeguard Chris Brodersen headed for the huge waves to surf on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)
Hurricane Earl in Pictures on Long Island: Surfing at Long Beach
Although Earl got bumped to a Category 1 storm, beaches remained closed to swimming and boats were docked. Ferry service to Fire Island was suspended. Even the U.S. Open was interrupted.
But the line of cars headed out to the Hamptons looked no different today and wasn’t going to keep Long Islanders from sneaking in one last weekend at the beach before the unofficial end of summer: Labor Day weekend.
For the youngest visitors to the always popular New York City getaway, the tall ocean waves were as eye opening as fireworks.
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The island’s eastern end was under a tropical storm warning as Earl was expected to pass between 100 and 200 miles southeast of Montauk late Friday, depositing wind gusts as high as 55 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Earl was powerful even far from its core. Its hurricane-force winds extended 70 miles from its center, and tropical storm-force winds of at least 39 mph radiated out 205 miles.
Pounding surf, minor to moderate beach erosion and rip currents were forecast, before the storm was expected to ease after midnight.
With AP
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