NEW YORK (PIX11) – As Hurricane Ernesto makes its way through Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, New York City will be spared from its path, according to the National Weather Service .

However, city officials are issuing weather alerts for New Yorkers who plan to hit the beach this weekend as the weather makes the waters uneasy.

“Dangerous beach conditions are expected beginning tomorrow Friday and continue through the weekend,” read a post on NYC Emergency Management’s X account . “Due to high surf and a high risk of rip currents as swells generated by the distant Ernesto system approach New York City’s shorelines.”

Another post echoed concerns expressed by Notify NYC, which recommended that New Yorkers refrain from swimming on red-flagged beaches if lifeguards are absent.

New York City and Long Island beaches are expected to see life-threatening rip currents. New Jersey beaches are at moderate risk of seeing rip currents, according to the beach forecast webpage provided by the National Weather Service.

What are Rip Currents:

“Rip currents are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from shore. They typically extend from the shoreline,” read one National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration post. “Through the surf zone and past the line of breaking waves. Rip currents can occur at any beach with breaking waves.”

Experts recommend that if you are in a rip current, you do not panic, swim parallel to the shoreline, swim against the current, and do not scream for help.

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If you see someone caught in a rip, experts recommend:

• Do not try to save the individual caught in the current
• Get help from a lifeguard
• If there is no lifeguard on duty, call 911, then try to get the victim to swim, following the shoreline to escape
• If possible, throw the victim something that floats
• Do not enter the water without a flotation device

“If you are planning a beach trip this weekend, please remember safety first and foremost,” read a message posted by the New York City Mayor’s office .

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here .

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