New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wrote on social media that “absolutely no one should be in the water today or tomorrow” due to “dangerous surf and rip currents” in the wake of Hurricane Erin. It appears at least one of his constituents, Ben Gravy, missed the memo.
Gravy is one of many East Coast surfers who have been chasing the swell produced by Erin – currently spinning 260 miles east of Cape Hatteras. Gravy uploaded photos and videos at an undisclosed Atlantic coast location, pulling into barrels several times his height.
“Hurricane Erin somewhat nuking,” Gravy wrote on Instagram. “Supposed to be four times the size tomorrow…”
While the surfers chasing Erin’s swell have been tight-lipped about locations, content from Florida (below, from the Gulfster) to New England has been surfacing of the massive swells produced by the storm.
Rob Kelly, Stevie Pittman, Owen Moss, and Brett Barley are among the East Coast surfers who have been sharing their swell search on social media.
Erin briefly reached Category 5 hurricane status on Saturday, August 16, before weakening to Category 3 as it moved north towards the U.S. Eastern seaboard. It then re-intensified to a Category 4 storm and has now weakened to a Category 2 between North Carolina and Bermuda, with sustained winds of 100 mph.
The storm’s 600-mile width has been particularly impressive. It’s twice as wide as the average hurricane, with hurricane-force winds that extend 105 miles from its center.
The storm surge caused minor flooding and erosion in North Carolina, but it appears the Outer Banks largely avoided any devastating damage.
Erin is currently moving on a north-northeast track at 18 mph. It will pick up speed and lose steam as it heads into the North Atlantic Ocean, expected to become a post-tropical storm by Saturday, August 23.
