New York City beaches close Saturday due to Hurricane Dorian, creating paradise for rogue surfers
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Saturday was the perfect day for New York City surfers -- who were willing to break the law.
All city beaches closed to swimming and surfing Saturday due to the impact of Hurricane Dorian. The beaches reopened Sunday.
The storm prompted dangerous rip current warnings, with the National Weather Service predicting swells of up to 10 feet that will affect all Atlantic Ocean beaches.
For risk-taking surfers, this translates to perfect ocean conditions.
At Rockaway Beach early Saturday morning, dozens started hitting the waves.
"You see the waves? Amazing. Yeah, I surf all over the world, perfect day today. It's worth it," one surfer said.
Friday generated some rogue surfer traffic as well. At one point, police will bullhorns tried to coax people out of the water, not having much success.
Eric Peterson, a Rockaway Park administrator, was one of several officials posted along the coastline to enforce the swimming and surfing ba
"Ocean's a great resource and can be used for so many good recreational things, but we need to make sure people are using it safely," he said.
This was the first time since 2016 that New York City closed its beaches. The city's 53 outdoor public pools and 650 spray showers will remain open with normal operations.
In New Jersey, several beaches closed as well. While some area beaches may be open, they may have fewer lifeguards, since Labor Day has passed.
"Needless to say, in the midst of this, please stay off the beaches," New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said. "The last thing any of us want is to have to send emergency help into the waters."
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