BERLIN, Md. — Major portions of Ocean City and Assateague Island are shutting down ahead of Hurricane Erin.
Effective immediately, Ocean City beaches are closed for swimming.
Assateague Island State Park has also suspended all in-water activities due to rip current conditions and the anticipation of extremely high surf.
Parking Lots at Chincoteague Beach are partially closed as well, with full closures possible in the near future.
The Oversand Vehicle Areas on the Maryland and Virginia sides of the park are closed as well due to potential flooding and beach erosion.
"This is a fluid situation, and it is impossible to predict when things will reopen," said Hugh Hawthorne, Superintendent Assateague Island National Seashore. "There is also the possibility of more closures in the next few days, as wind speeds and tidal surge caused by the passage of Erin are difficult to predict and coincide with a very high tide cycle."
Meanwhile, the Maryland State Highway Administration said its preparing for potential impacts from Erin by clearing drainage inlets and ditches of debris buildup to help mitigate possible flooding.
The Department is getting generators, chainsaws, and chippers ready in case they're needed.
"Although the state will not be directly impacted by the storm, there could be some roadway flooding during high tides in regions of the lower Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland due to potential surge associated with the storm," State Highway said in a press release.
They issued a few tips on how to stay safe in a storm.
- avoid downed or damaged power and transmission lines as these could still be live;
- be cognizant of fallen trees, tree limbs and other debris in the roadway; and
- avoid areas where water is running across the road due to flooding.
"In addition, high water and wind associated with the approaching storm could result in scattered power outages. The State Highway Administration reminds motorists that if you encounter an intersection where traffic signals are without power or malfunctioning, they should treat all directions of the intersection as a four-way stop condition."
