WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. -- On Tuesday morning, Assateague Island National Seashore and Ocean City closed public access to the ocean. Hurricane Erin isn't expected to make landfall, but the Category 2 storm is causing life-threatening rip currents off our coast.
So, officials are being extra careful, and as we stood on the beach at Assateague Island National Seashore with Superintendent Hugh Hawthorne, we got an up-close and personal look at why that is.
"As you can see, the surf is building," said Hawthorne. "We're not quite to the point where we would've closed just for the surf, but it's going to get a lot worse in the next couple of days."
Just a few miles to the north in Ocean City, it was a very similar scene. The inlet was extremely choppy, waves crashed down hard onto rocks, and gusts of wind blew sea foam everywhere. The Ocean City Beach Patrol wants to make sure people don't go anywhere near that.
"It's almost like a washing machine," said Mike Stone, a lieutenant with the OCBP. "Large, heavy surf, and especially with some of the obstacles out there, you know, downtown, you know the pier, the rock piles, the rock pile at the inlet, you know it's just not safe."
Even after 'Erin' passes, the OCBP encourages people to proceed cautiously. Dangerous ocean conditions are expected to linger for at least 24 to 48 hours. So, even if the sun is shining, please check with a lifeguard before jumping in.
The beach in Ocean City is still open to the public, and the same goes for Assateague. However, that could change. In a Facebook post, Maryland State Parks said it will keep a close eye on the storm and could close the beach entirely if conditions become unsafe.