Atlantic City, NJ – Officials have closed all beaches in Atlantic City after massive swells and rip currents created by Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto made conditions too dangerous for swimmers.
The closure comes as the Atlantic City Beach Patrol ended its summer season Monday, leaving no lifeguards on duty. The timing coincides with the traditional last day of guarded beaches, September 30.
“Please stay out of the water,” urged Beach Patrol Chief Steve Downey. “It is huge surf down here, some of the biggest I’ve ever seen. We are asking people to avoid the dangerous surf and stay safely out of the water until further notice.”
Although the storms are still hundreds of miles offshore, the National Hurricane Center reported Tuesday morning that both systems are generating powerful swells spreading from the Bahamas up the U.S. east coast. The center warned the conditions are “likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”
According to the United States Lifesaving Association, rip currents claim up to 100 lives annually at beaches across the country, underscoring the risk of entering the Atlantic waters while the storms remain active.