Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small appeared on "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer" to talk about the impact of Hurricane Erin, which is churning about off the eastern seaboard.
High tide was higher than expected, Small said. He estimated it was about 6 feet, 4 inches, when the prediction was less than 6 feet. He said several roads were closed Thursday as flooding from the waters took their toll.
The city is expected to have 45-mile-per-hour winds over the next several hours, Small said. The winds are expected to be as strong as 35 miles per hour into Friday morning.
The storm is expected to stay at least 300 miles off the Atlantic Coast. Blitzer asked if that made it difficult to have people take warnings seriously.
"We're proactive here in the Small administration in the great city of Atlantic City," the mayor said. "We're prepared. We shut our beaches down yesterday (Wednesday).
He talked about how the city has been updated residents and visitors to the issues all week, banning swimming and limiting how deep anyone could go into the water.
"In spite of the weather, it's a still a great day here in the city of Atlantic City," Small told the CNN host.
The Atlantic City Office of Emergency Management urged residents Wednesday to prepare for significant weather impacts over the next several days, with warnings that Routes 30 and 40 likely would be closed over the next days due to flooding. That prediction came true Thursday.
Longport Borough issued an emergency advisory for residents to take precautions as moderate flooding, especially in low-lying areas is expected during evening high tide.
Residents in flood-prone areas of Atlantic City were advised to move their vehicles to higher ground by 5 p.m. Thursday.
The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has authorized free parking at the Wave Parking Garage, located at Mississippi and Fairmount avenues, from 10 a.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. Friday.
The City of Ventnor cancelled all of its recreation programs for the day. The Police Department announced that it has suspended enforcement of all ParkMobile locations in the city to allow citizens and visitors to move their vehicles to higher ground in case of flooding caused by Hurricane Erin. The suspension of enforcement will run from today until 10 a.m. Saturday Aug.23.
In Margate, the Board of Education has cancelled its monthly worksession meeting schedule for Thursday evening.
OEM officials warned Wednesday that if a road is flooded, never drive through water in the streets, turn around and use an alternate route, and never try to drive around police barricades that are in place. Residents and businesses should move any outdoor items that can become projectiles indoors immediately.
Local beach patrols warned beachgoers earlier in the week to stay out of the water. Atlantic City, Margate, Ventnor and Longport beach patrols prohibited swimming.
While the path of Hurricane Erin is expected to remain hundreds of miles off the New Jersey coast, Atlantic County officials urge residents and visitors to our area to heed warnings for dangerous rip currents and unusually high surf activity along the coast over the next several days.
Atlantic City also announced bathing restrictions this week, with those entering the water limited to knee-deep, and a ban on boogie boards.
"We're going to reassess daily, and if anything changes, we'll let you know," Atlantic City Beach Patrol Chief Steve Downey said in a video posted to the city's Facebook page.
By Tuesday evening, the limit was changed to ankle-deep.
Winds are expected to be around 20 mph for the week, Downey said.
He reminded beachgoers to listen to lifeguards, and "adhere to the restrictions that we're putting in place. It's for your safety, not to try to ruin your good time."
A message posted to the Margate City Beach Patrol's social media advising kayakers and surfers to also stay out of the water. If they must go in, they are doing so at their own risk.
"This is not a decision that we have come to lightly, but our priority is the safety of our beachgoers and lifeguards," the post stated.
There will be lifeguards on duty, but their main focus will be to keep beachgoers out of the water.
Forecasters say Erin will bring 10-foot waves, high winds and possible beach erosion, along with tidal flooding during morning and afternoon high tides.
A high rip current risk remains in effect through Wednesday evening and a high surf advisory will be in effect Wednesday morning through Friday morning, as issued by the National Weather Service.
“Beach goers need to be aware of the risks and to only swim in waters protected by a lifeguard,” stated Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson. “If caught in a rip current, relax and float, or swim parallel to the shoreline. Don’t try to swim against the current.”
Levinson noted that a few beaches along the coast have already restricted swimming, including Ventnor and Wildwood while Atlantic City is only permitting bathers in knee-deep waters.
New Jersey has had several rescues involving rip currents this summer in addition to two drownings, one in Seaside Heights and another in Belmar.
“Rip currents combined with high surf activity can produce life-threatening conditions for inexperienced as well as experienced swimmers,” said Levinson. “It may be best to stay out of the water for the next few days.”
Another impact of Hurricane Erin’s high winds, high tides and hurricane swells is a potential for flooding along the coast and up tidal rivers. Warm ocean waters help fuel hurricanes that carry larger amounts of water, raising flood risks.
Levinson said county officials will continue to monitor the storm and recommended residents and visitors sign up to receive emergency alerts through the county’s emergency notification system on the county website.
“Enjoy our beautiful beaches, but please take the necessary precautions to protect yourselves and your loved ones,” he said.
