Ernesto regains strength as a hurricane, posing danger with life-threatening surf and rip currents on the East Coast

Ernesto regained hurricane status in the open Atlantic Ocean, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. It was located 520 miles south of Halifax, Canada, and moving north-northeast at 17 mph. The storm is expected to intensify before weakening back into a tropical storm by Tuesday, passing near southeastern Newfoundland. New York City and New Jersey officials warned of rip currents and closed beaches, while Atlantic City warned of potential coastal flooding. Two men drowned in rip currents off Hilton Head, South Carolina on Friday. In North Carolina, a stilted home along the shore collapsed into the ocean waves. National Weather Service forecasts warned of life-threatening rip currents along the North Carolina and South Carolina coasts. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buoys measured wave heights of 5 to 6 feet along the coast. Life-threatening surf and rip currents were possible from Bermuda to Canada for the next few days, with 10 million people covered by National Weather Service coastal flood advisories. The storm’s impacts were felt along the East Coast, from New York City to the Carolinas.

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