Hurricane Erin to make a mess of the weekend in the Northeast

Weather Conditions and Warnings - Red flags are flying along the Maryland Eastern Shore through Delaware, the Jersey Shore, and Long Island, indicating hazardous conditions [1] - Coastal flood warnings are in effect for much of the Jersey Shore and the south shore of Long Island, with the possibility of 1 to 3 feet of inundation in normally dry areas [3][4] - Wave conditions are expected to persist through the night and into the next day, making it unsafe to enter the water [3] Impacted Locations and Restrictions - Swimming will be restricted in areas from Atlantic City down through Cape May and Wildwood, as well as Jones Beach, Robert Moses, and Montauk [6] - Popular vacation destinations along the Jersey coast are expected to be impacted [5] Water Temperatures and Hurricane Activity - Beach water temperatures have been in the middle to upper 70s (degrees Fahrenheit) over the past week, with the Jersey Shore currently at 75 degrees (degrees Fahrenheit) [8] - A hurricane thrives on 85 to 90 degree (degrees Fahrenheit) water [7] - There is a 70% chance of a storm developing into Fernand near the northern Leeward Islands, and two other potential storms are developing in the Atlantic [8][9] - The current hurricane season is expected to be busier than normal [9]