A weakening Hurricane Bill spun northward Saturday, churning up rough seas, creating dangerousrip tides and closing beaches to swimmers up and down the eastern seaboard, including PresidentBarack Obama's planned vacation spot, Martha's Vineyard.
The Category 1 hurricane was expected to pass the mainland well off New England, but wasstill packing high winds and waves that had safety officials urging extreme caution.
At Robert Moses State Park in New York, the beach was shut down as the high tide submergedthe sand, though the beach opened later Saturday for sunbathing. Along some beaches in Delaware andNew Jersey, no swimming was allowed.
"It's just too dangerous right now," Rehoboth Beach Patrol Capt. Kent Buckson said.
On Saturday evening, Bill had maximum sustained winds near 85 mph (140 kph) and was about 250miles (415 km) south-southeast of Nantucket, Mass., and about 550 miles (880 km) south-southwest ofHalifax, Nova Scotia, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
A tropical storm warning remained in effect Saturday night for Massachusetts, including theislands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, meaning tropical storm-force winds of 40 mph (64kph) ormore could hit the coastline in the next 24 hours.
The worst of Bill was expected to pass about 150 to 200 miles east of Martha's Vineyardbefore Obama's arrival on Sunday. The Obamas delayed their planned Sunday morning departure fromAndrews Air Force Base to Sunday mid-afternoon because of the weather, White House aides said.
On Saturday, nearly all south-facing beaches on the island were closed to swimmers and largesigns blocked roadways to shorefronts. Meanwhile, lifeguards used caution tape to rope off accesspoints, and police patrolled the beach to enforce the closings.
"The concern we have now is that the riptides are very strong," said lifeguard JamesCostantini. "There's a very strong undertow."
Longtime Vineyard vacationer Jack DeCoste, 69, of Plymouth, Mass., was unimpressed with thestorm as he lounged in a beach chair in Edgartown.
"I don't think it's going to impact things that much," DeCoste said. "I think it'll be in andout of here fairly quickly."
The high waves that worried safety officials had surfers buzzing. Scott Fisher, 38, was atNantasket Beach in Hull, where the morning's moderate waves were expected to build throughout theday.
"People wait all summer for this," he said.
The storm was expected to reach Canadian waters early Sunday, and the Canadian HurricaneCenter on Saturday issued a hurricane watch for areas of Nova Scotia, where winds speeds could hit74 mph (120 kph) with gusts of 87 mph (140 kph).
Marine Atlantic suspended ferry service between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and NorthSydney, Nova Scotia, beginning Sunday morning, saying the risks were just too high.
In Nova Scotia, provincial parks have been shut down and people advised to stay clear ofbeaches.
"The waves, they're very pretty to look at but very dangerous," Barry Manuel of the HalifaxEmergency Management Office said Saturday.
In Atlantic City, N.J., surfers gathered Saturday on beaches where 20-foot waves wereexpected. But only a few were willing to take their boards into the big swells.
Atlantic City Beach Patrol Chief Rod Aluise told The Press of Atlantic City that some surfersjust stood on the beach "with their eyes popping out" at the size of the waves.
"This is only for experienced surfers," Aluise said.
The stormy conditions were expected to last through the weekend.
"It takes a while for the ocean to relax" after strong storms, said Gary Conte, ameteorologist with the National Weather Service. "Until it does, riptides will make dangeroussport" for surfers and swimmers.
Hurricane Bill moved past Bermuda earlier Saturday, leaving behind sunny skies, debris andflooding, but no casualties.
The storm mostly spared the pink-sand shores, though it cut power to about 3,700 customersand flooded some roads along the northern coast. The airport was closed overnight and expected toreopen Saturday afternoon. All ferry service was canceled until Sunday.
Bermudians and tourists awoke to some water on the roads, rain and gusting winds.
"It was something to behold. I've never been in a hurricane before," said ESPN sportscasterKenny Mayne, who hoped to return to the U.S. on Sunday.
A government spokeswoman said the British territory's hospitals had no storm-relatedpatients.
Meanwhile, forecasters said Tropical Storm Hilda formed far out in the Pacific on Saturdaybut was not threatening land. It had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph (65 kph) and was notexpected to strengthen.
On Saturday evening, it was about 1,930 miles (3,105 km) west-southwest of the southern tipof Mexico's Baja California peninsula and 1,225 miles (1,970 km) east-southeast of Hilo,Hawaii.
Hurricane Bill Weakens As It Nears U.S.
The Category 1 hurricane is expected to pass the mainland well off New England, but was still packing high winds and waves that had safety officials urging extreme caution.
