At least one person was killed and several others were rescued as Tropical Storm Ernesto kicked up dangerous rip currents up and down the East Coast over the weekend.
A 41-year-old man drowned in the vicious currents Saturday near Surf City, N.C., according to local authorities.
Two more men drowned Friday in separate incidents near Hilton Head Island, S.C., but officials did not immediately confirm if they were affected by rip currents.
“Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are likely in these areas during the next couple of days,” the National Hurricane Center warned for the Bahamas, Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast, and Atlantic Canada.
The National Weather Service issued advisories stretching from Maine to Florida. When those warnings went unheeded Saturday in New Jersey, lifeguards throughout the state rescued at least six people from dangerous waters.
In the tristate area, a flash flood warning was issued for parts of Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut, while coastal flood advisories were posted for parts of Nassau County in New York and southwestern Connecticut. The South Shore of Long Island was under a rip current advisory.
Ernesto struck Bermuda on Saturday as a Category 1 hurricane but weakened after passing over the island nation. Though Bermuda officials reported minimal overall damage, about 8,000 people remained without power Sunday on an island of 63,500 people.
The storm was expected to continue moving north and northeast toward Atlantic Canada while regaining strength as a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was expected to pass near southeast Newfoundland around Monday night into Tuesday morning.
With News Wire Services
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