At 1:03 p.m. Wednesday, East Hampton Town released a one-sentence statement declaring that all of its beaches "are closed for swimming today due to dangerous surf conditions."
The announcement followed a statement issued by the National Weather Service early Wednesday morning that advised swimmers of "dangerous rip currents" and "large, breaking waves of 6 to 8 feet." The rip-current warning will be active until this evening, the agency said, and the high-surf advisory is in effect through 6 p.m. Thursday.
"Life-threatening rip currents are likely for all people entering the surf zone," the N.W.S. wrote. "Anyone visiting the beaches should stay out of the surf. Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water."
Drew Smith, chief of the East Hampton Village lifeguards, whose administration had not yet closed the beaches as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, said that "we're looking at high storm surges with debris, logs, wood. The beach has scalloping and tidal pooling; Main Beach to Georgica is underwater."
He said he did expect the village to close the beaches at some point.
He advised people to stay away from the water's edge. The waves might make for dramatic pictures, but people shouldn't even approach to take photos, he said. "Stay back a safe distance."
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
