Coastal flood and beach erosion are also possible this week as Hurricane Erin passes far off the Jersey Shore.

Flooding, rip current and small craft weather alerts were issued by the NWS for South Jersey as result of Hurricane Erin.

Hurricane Erin is expected to bring dangerous surf at the Jersey Shore even as it stays off of the coast. Lifeguards are issuing renewed advice about what to do if you get caught in a rip current.

As of Monday afternoon, Hurricane Erin was spinning several hundred miles south and east of Florida and forecasters are expecting the storm to grow bigger.

Rip currents are the third leading cause of deaths from hurricanes, and they can happen on a sunny day hundreds of miles from the storm.

Tragedy strikes the Jersey Shore as two drownings prompt urgent safety warnings from officials. With Hurricane Erin approaching, swimmers are reminded to stay close to lifeguards and heed caution.

“Certainly, Erin is not helping,” said Mike Lee, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly. But the surf on Monday primarily was being stirred by strong onshore winds, gusting up to 35 mph, behind a front that came through Sunday night and triggered surprising downpours in parts of the region.