More than fifty beaches are shut down across the East Coast due to two major safety threats
More than 50 beaches along the East Coast have been shut down on Saturday due to high levels of bacteria and dangerous riptides ahead of Hurricane Ernesto.
The National Park Service and NYC Parks have shut down every beach in Brooklyn and Queens due to possibly life-threatening riptides as Ernesto pulls closer to the US coastline.
The hurricane moved through Bermuda as a Category 1 storm early Saturday and is not expected to make landfall in the US.
The National Hurricane Center reported life-threatening surf and rip currents on the East Coast and said they would reach Canada during the day and will pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday.
'Our primary focus is keeping New Yorkers safe, so as the impacts of [Hurricane] Ernesto approach New York City, we are closing our ocean-facing beaches in Queens and Brooklyn this weekend to protect New Yorkers from dangerous rip currents,' New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, said last week, according to ABC 7.
The National Park Service and NYC Parks have shut down every beach in Brooklyn and Queens due to possibly life-threatening riptides as Ernesto pulls closer to the US coastline (pictured: Jones Beach Field in NY)
Just a few states away in Massachusetts, more than 50 beaches, including Longnook Beach in Truro, have been closed due to high bacteria levels
Just a few states away in Massachusetts, more than 50 beaches have been closed mostly due to high bacteria levels, the state's dashboard shows.
In 33 beaches, the bacteria amount had reached unsafe levels for swimming and could cause illness.
Meanwhile, 13 additional beaches had harmful cyanobacteria blooms.
Other beaches in the Commonwealth State also shut down under the category 'other,' which can be for riptides, poor visibility, or other hazards.
Forecasters are also warning the public in New England to be aware of dangerous riptides due to Ernesto.
'Even if Ernesto stays well offshore of the U.S. East Coast, beachgoers should be aware of a significant risk of deadly rip currents beginning later this week,' the National Hurricane Center said this week.
Thirty people have died from riptides this year alone, according to the National Weather Service.
Those who risk swimming in bacteria-filled water could end up with stomach and intestinal upset, diarrhea, and vomiting, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH).
The bacteria amount have reached unsafe levels for swimming and could cause illness (pictured Puffers Pond in MA)
Forecasters are also warning the public in New England and New York to be aware of dangerous riptides due to Ernesto (pictured: Jones Beach Field in NY)
Dangerous bacteria can also lead to lethal sepsis, coma, limb amputation and death in worst-case scenarios. (Pictured: stock image of Cyanobacteria in water)
Many water-borne germs originate from human and animal feces, so the NIH recommends people avoid using the restroom in the water and to keep child and animal fecal matter away too.
Algae can also infect the water.
'If there are concerns with either the bacteria or other hazards, focus on other activities to do,' University of South Carolina's Dr. Dwayne Porter told NIH.
Dangerous bacteria can also lead to lethal sepsis, coma, limb amputation and death in worst-case scenarios.
Massachusetts' closure of beaches for bacteria comes just two weeks after 30 beaches along the New England state's coastline were closed for the same reason.
Most were shut down due to bacterial exceedance or a harmful cyanobacteria bloom, with 29 alone due to bacteria.
