Not just L.A., the City of Angels Is Everywhere
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Thursday, August 21, 2025

Longer transcripts for this week are here

They can't call global warming a hoax anymore, Add-Ons, for series are in this post

Re: They can't call global warming a hoax anymore 9 Hurricane Erin (coverage as it happens) and

They can't call global warming a hoax anymore 8 Part 8 covers the current LA heat wave,

*****

2, 9B: Sat PM Weather Underground summary of Erin's week:

No. Oh my god. 0:03 Oh my god. 0:29 The east coast is under siege tonight, 0:31 not from a storm making landfall, but 0:33 from one raging hundreds of miles 0:35 offshore. Hurricane Aaron, the first 0:39 Atlantic hurricane of the 2025 season, 0:42 has unleashed chaos from the Carolas to 0:44 New York. Streets in New Jersey are 0:47 underwater. Ocean City's beaches are 0:49 closed, and waves taller than houses are 0:52 crashing against sea walls. Even 0:54 seasoned surfers are being pulled from 0:56 rip currents too strong to fight. This 0:59 isn't just another storm. It's a 1:01 category 2 hurricane, proving that you 1:03 don't have to make landfall to leave 1:05 behind disaster. Tonight, we break down 1:08 how Hurricane Aaron turned summer along 1:10 the East Coast into a scene of 1:12 destruction. 1:53 Hurricane Aaron began its journey 1:55 thousands of miles away, forming Coming 1:57 off the coast of Africa near the Cabo 1:59 Vverde Islands on August 11th. As it 2:02 crossed the warm waters of the Atlantic, 2:04 the storm steadily grew in power. By the 2:07 weekend, Aaron had briefly strengthened 2:10 into a category 5 monster with sustained 2:12 winds topping 160 maki, the kind of 2:16 intensity capable of leveling buildings 2:18 and tearing apart entire coastlines. 2:22 Thankfully, Aaron weakened slightly as 2:24 it tracked north, but by the time it 2:26 reached the waters off the Mid-Atlantic, 2:28 it was still a powerful category 2 2:30 hurricane packing 100 mph winds. What 2:34 made Aaron especially dangerous wasn't 2:36 just its strength, but its size. Its 2:40 massive circulation stretched hundreds 2:41 of miles across the Atlantic, creating 2:44 dangerous swells and rip currents that 2:46 slammed into beaches from North 2:47 Carolina's Outer Banks all the way up to 2:50 New York and New Jersey. Meteorologists 2:53 warned early on this hurricane didn't 2:56 need to make landfall to wreak havoc. 2:58 Even sitting offshore, Aaron had the 3:01 ability to erode beaches, flood 3:03 low-lying towns, and generate waves as 3:06 high as 16 ft, towering over lifeguard 3:09 stands and crashing into seaw walls. For 3:12 communities along the east coast, summer 3:14 vacation instantly turned into a fight 3:16 against the rising ocean. 3:23 Heat. 3:33 Heat. 3:58 By Thursday afternoon, the warnings 4:01 turned into reality. Along the Jersey 4:03 Shore, water began spilling into streets 4:06 even before the evening high tide. In 4:09 Wildwood, one of New Jersey's busiest 4:12 tourist destinations, Rio Grand Avenue, 4:15 the main road into the city, was 4:17 completely shut down as floodwaters 4:19 surged across the pavement. Police moved 4:22 quickly, evacuating motel guests and 4:25 residents living in the lowest lying 4:27 neighborhoods. The situation was no 4:29 better in Egg Harbor Township, where 4:32 officers went doortodoor, urging 4:34 families to leave before floodwaters 4:36 trapped them inside. 4:38 Social media exploded with images of 4:40 cars half-submerged, families waiting 4:43 through kneedeep water, and emergency 4:45 crews navigating streets that looked 4:47 more like rivers than roads. Long Beach 4:50 Island, Atlantic City, Ocean City, and 4:54 Manisquan all reported similar flooding, 4:57 forcing closures of Long Beach 4:59 Boulevard, and several smaller coastal 5:01 highways. What made the situation 5:03 especially dangerous was how deceptive 5:05 the water looked. In some places, it 5:08 barely reached an adult's calves, but in 5:10 others, hidden dips in the road 5:12 swallowed entire vehicles. Officials 5:15 repeated the same life-saving phrase 5:17 over and over. Turn around. Don't drown. 5:21 Still, many drivers underestimated the 5:24 flood waters and had to be rescued after 5:26 their cars stalled in rising tides. 5:29 Meanwhile, beach patrol trucks crawled 5:31 up and down the shoreline, warning 5:33 crowds to stay out of the surf. But 5:36 despite repeated announcements, some 5:38 surfers couldn't resist the giant 5:40 swells. Lifeguards reported waves as 5:43 high as 12 to 16 ft, slamming the coast 5:46 with the kind of raw power that can 5:48 sweep even strong swimmers out to sea in 5:50 seconds. 5:56 I lost a car the first time. 6:00 So, a couple other people lost car. 6:04 Damn. All those new cars are done. 6:08 What a gentleman. 6:32 Along the Jersey Shore, the battle 6:34 against Hurricane Aaron played out not 6:36 just in the forecasts, but in the 6:39 streets where people live, work, and 6:41 vacation. In Long Beach Island, the 6:44 rising tide swallowed sections of the 6:46 main boulevard, the very road that 6:48 connects families to safety. Police 6:51 blocked access, but not before cars 6:53 stalled and residents were forced to 6:55 abandon them, walking through waste deep 6:57 water that rushed like a river through 6:59 their neighborhoods. Emergency sirens 7:02 pierced the roar of the wind, guiding 7:05 families to higher ground as officers 7:07 went doortodo, urging people to evacuate 7:09 before the next tide arrived. In 7:12 Wildwood Crest and Cape May, the site 7:15 was surreal. Pickup trucks from beach 7:18 patrol units crept slowly along the 7:20 shoreline, lights flashing as lifeguards 7:22 shouted at curious onlookers to stay out 7:25 of the water. Despite the danger, people 7:28 gathered on the dunes and boardwalks, 7:30 phones in hand, recording massive waves 7:33 crashing against jetties and seaw walls. 7:36 Some compared the site to an apocalyptic 7:38 movie scene. Street lights flickering, 7:41 sand blasting against windows, and the 7:43 Atlantic Ocean surging closer with every 7:46 incoming wave. Tourists who had come for 7:49 summer fun now found themselves staring 7:52 at a coastline transformed into a place 7:54 of raw, unstoppable power. By nightfall, 7:58 the once busy tourist towns had gone 8:00 silent. Boardwalk shops sat dark, their 8:03 neon signs drowned by floodwaters. 8:06 Restaurants shuttered. Streets that 8:09 hours earlier had been filled with 8:10 families heading to arcades and ice 8:12 cream stands were now rivers lit only by 8:15 the faint glow of emergency vehicles. 8:18 For locals, it wasn't just a storm. It 8:21 was a reminder that no matter how many 8:23 barriers are built, no wall of sand or 8:25 rock can fully stop the ocean when it 8:28 decides to reclaim the shore. 8:37 What? 8:44 Oh my god. 8:59 On Thursday night, panic spread across 9:02 coastal New Jersey as Hurricane Aaron's 9:04 outer bands collided with the evening 9:06 high tide. Streets in Wildwood, Atlantic 9:10 City, Long Beach Island, and Ocean City 9:13 quickly turned into rivers. Videos on 9:16 social media showed cars stranded 9:18 midroad, headlights flickering 9:20 underwater while residents waited 9:22 through floodwaters that reached their 9:24 knees and in some neighborhoods even 9:27 higher. In Wildwood, police shut down 9:30 Rio Grand Avenue, one of the city's main 9:33 gateways after water engulfed the 9:35 roadway. Motel and homes in low-lying 9:39 neighborhoods were evacuated with 9:41 families forced to leave behind vehicles 9:43 and belongings as they rushed to safer 9:45 ground. In Egg Harbor Township, officers 9:49 went doortodoor, moving residents and 9:51 vacationers out of harm's way. The sight 9:54 of people hauling suitcases through 9:56 ankle deep water under flashing red 9:58 lights underscored the urgency. 10:01 Meanwhile, in Ocean City, Maryland, 10:04 lifeguard patrols drove trucks up and 10:06 down the beaches, blocking anyone from 10:08 stepping into the raging surf. Officials 10:11 allowed visitors to walk along the 10:13 shoreline, but with a strict warning. 10:16 Don't even think about going in deeper 10:18 than your ankles. Despite the bands, 10:21 crowds still gathered to watch the angry 10:23 roaring ocean. Phones raised to capture 10:26 footage of waves taller than beach 10:28 houses slamming into seaw walls. 10:31 In Cape May, the same waves that 10:33 terrified some became a magnet for 10:35 thrillsekers. Experienced surfers defied 10:38 warnings, paddling into 12-oot swells 10:41 while police whistles and megaphones 10:43 echoed across the beaches. For 10:45 spectators, it was a mix of awe and 10:48 dread. An ocean transformed into a force 10:50 of chaos. But for local residents, there 10:54 was no thrill, only fear. As one shop 10:57 owner in Long Beach put it, "We've seen 11:00 storms before, but not water this high, 11:03 this fast. It feels like the ocean is 11:06 swallowing the shore. 11:11 This beach is an 11:37 By Thursday evening, state and local 11:40 officials up and down the coast moved 11:42 into crisis mode. New Jersey Governor 11:44 Phil Murphy declared a state of 11:46 emergency, warning that life-threatening 11:49 rip currents will be present at all 11:51 ocean beaches across the state for the 11:53 next few days. He urged residents to 11:56 stay off flooded roads, secure outdoor 11:59 belongings, and be prepared to evacuate 12:01 if conditions worsened. In North 12:04 Carolina's Outer Banks, officials closed 12:07 Highway 12 after storm surge made travel 12:10 impossible, cutting off communities like 12:12 Okraoke Island from their ferry 12:14 terminal. The state deployed more than 12:16 200 National Guard troops and three 12:19 swiftwater rescue teams, bracing for 12:21 potential rescues as water levels rose. 12:24 Further north, New York and Long Island 12:27 officials issued their own warnings. 12:29 Beaches from Rockaway to Southampton 12:31 were shut down with lifeguards and 12:34 police patrolling to stop swimmers from 12:36 entering the surf. Emergency crews 12:38 dumped truckloads of sand along 12:40 vulnerable dunes in Quue and Fire Island 12:43 to strengthen defenses against pounding 12:45 waves. In Maryland, Ocean City officials 12:49 closed all beach access and banned 12:51 surfing entirely, a rare move that 12:53 sparked backlash from local surf 12:55 communities. Emergency managers defended 12:58 the decision, stressing that even expert 13:01 swimmers could not survive the rip 13:03 currents now churning offshore. "This 13:06 water will take you," one lifeguard said 13:08 bluntly. Across multiple states, 13:11 shelters were opened for residents in 13:13 low-lying areas while utility companies 13:16 staged crews to respond quickly to 13:18 downed power lines. At every level, the 13:21 message was the same. Don't 13:23 underestimate this storm. Even without 13:26 landfall, Aaron is more dangerous than 13:28 it looks. 13:44 My god, there 13:47 I think it's all the 13:59 Hurricane Aaron may not have made 14:01 landfall, but its fury was felt from the 14:03 Carolinas to New York. Flooded streets, 14:06 shattered coastlines, and waves that 14:09 reminded us of just how small we are 14:11 compared to the power of the ocean. for 14:13 families evacuated in Wildwood. For 14:16 surfers pulled from deadly rip currents 14:18 in Ocean City, and for communities along 14:21 the Jersey Shore watching dunes vanish 14:23 overnight, this storm is more than just 14:26 weather. It's a warning. The question 14:29 is, are we listening? As the Atlantic 14:32 grows warmer and storms grow stronger, 14:34 Aaron is a glimpse into a future we 14:36 can't ignore. Preparedness isn't 14:39 optional anymore. It's survival. What 14:42 happened this week proves that even an 14:44 offshore hurricane can upend millions of 14:47 lives. Thank you for watching. If you 14:50 found this report valuable, please like 14:52 this video, share it with friends and 14:54 family, and subscribe so you don't miss 14:56 our future coverage of extreme weather 14:58 events around the world. And we want to 15:01 hear from you. Do you think coastal 15:03 states are truly prepared for the next 15:05 big storm? Or will Hurricane Aaron be 15:08 remembered as the one that proved we're 15:10 still not ready? Drop your thoughts in 15:12 the comments below. Until next time, 15:16 stay safe, stay prepared, and never 15:19 underestimate the power of nature.

1, 9A New Jersey Coast transcript  For "Live NJ Governor on Hurricane Erin" posted here second video down

foot range. That will get into double 1:58 digit low double digit feet uh on th I 2:02 think Thursday, Sean into Friday. Um and 2:06 and so just let's stop right there. This 2:09 is no time to be complacent. I would 2:12 just say to you flat out, don't go in 2:14 the water. I don't want to be the 2:15 Ammonville mayor in Jaws. Uh but the 2:18 fact of the matter is I think going in 2:20 the ocean for the next number of days um 2:23 is something you got to avoid. Uh a 2:26 whole not a whole bunch, but at least 2:28 some Jersey Shore towns have already 2:30 made that decision uh at their own 2:33 beaches, Sean. And we have made that 2:35 decision for Island Beach State Park, 2:37 which is the one shore beach that we 2:39 control. Uh there's no nobody's allowed 2:42 to go in the water. 2:44 Uh, and that doesn't mean you can't 2:46 enjoy the beach. You can't enjoy enjoy 2:49 the shore. You can be on the beach 2:50 sunbathing, playing ball. Uh, we'll look 2:53 the other way if you want to have a 2:55 beer. Um, uh, walk the boardwalks, go to 2:59 the restaurants, 3:00 uh, have a great amusement parks. 3:03 Remember, this storm's going to miss us. 3:04 So, this not it's other than tomorrow 3:06 and maybe a little bit of Thursday, 3:08 there's no rain involved. Uh but we are 3:10 hyper hyper concerned first and foremost 3:13 about complacency particularly when the 3:16 weather is really good uh Thursday 3:18 afternoon through Sunday um in terms of 3:21 people sort of thinking about going in 3:24 the water because these rip currents are 3:25 brutal if you're caught in one. Um again 3:29 I'd love Sean to add to this and Pat the 3:32 the the advice is to swim parallel to 3:35 shore. First of all stay calm. They 3:37 always say stay calm. Like when you get 3:38 a when you when a bear shows up on your 3:40 back porch, stay calm. Easier said than 3:43 done, but in this case, try to stay calm 3:45 and and swim parallel to shore until the 3:48 current sort of subsides and then come 3:50 in on a perpendicular 3:52 uh to to to the shore, but please don't 3:55 even go on the water. So, that's our 3:57 first huge concern right now. We'll keep 4:00 you posted on ready.nj.gov.gov 4:03 Murphy onx uh is another source. any of 4:06 our statewide uh resources. The second 4:10 concern uh is uh the potential for 4:13 coastal flooding. Um and the word that 4:16 we're using and that we use is moderate. 4:19 Moderate does not mean a little. Um this 4:22 means a potential for significant 4:24 coastal flooding. There's a moment, I 4:27 think it's Thursday night, guys, where 4:28 the high tide will coincide with the 4:31 high waves uh and the intensity of the 4:34 impact of this storm. That's a 4:36 particular period of concern Thursday 4:38 night into Friday. Sean will remind us 4:41 that this also means potential flooding 4:44 for the tidal rivers in land. Um but I 4:47 think most of the focus or concern right 4:49 now is is on coastal flooding. So, those 4:53 are the double-headed reasons why we 4:56 wanted to speak with you this morning. 4:58 Um, again, ready.nj.gov. 5:01 Number one. Number two, just don't go in 5:03 the water. Um, a we're about to get on a 5:06 call with all the shore mayors and 5:09 county executives, the three of us and 5:11 Dan and Tim and others. Right after 5:13 this, we're going to make the same 5:15 point. Um, I I don't think it'll come to 5:18 it. Uh, but if if it helps, you know, we 5:21 have the ability. we believe to declare 5:23 a state of emergency and have that 5:26 blanket uh access to water up and down 5:28 the entire Jersey Shore. Um I think 5:30 we're seeing a lot of really responsible 5:33 mayors take steps already. Uh you've 5:36 already seen some of that. Wildwood, um 5:38 Atlantic City, Seaside Heights to pick 5:41 three that have taken steps. Uh but 5:44 folks, please, please, please take this 5:47 seriously, particularly push back on 5:49 complacency, on the human nature of 5:52 gosh, it's beautiful outside. Let's get 5:54 let's sneak a a quick dip in the water. 5:57 This is not the week to do that. Uh and 5:59 if if if things change, particularly if 6:01 they change for the better, we'll be the 6:02 first folks to raise our hand and say, 6:04 you know what, uh this was not as bad as 6:06 we thought, and you should feel good. 6:08 All the shore towns are really good and 6:10 I know Island Beach uh is really good at 6:13 with the flags and the red, the yellow, 6:15 the green. You got a lot of red flags up 6:18 this week. Um again, that doesn't mean 6:20 you can't have fun on the shore. Uh this 6:23 is one of the biggest weeks of the 6:24 summer. Uh but we cannot lose any more 6:27 precious souls and obviously we need to 6:29 anticipate what could be meaningful 6:31 flooding uh on the back end of this. 6:34 Deep thanks for coming out. I'm going to 6:36 ask Pat, Colonel Pat Callahan to say a 6:39 few words and Commissioner Sean Lerette 6:41 and the three of us with the help from 6:43 Dan and Tim and others will answer any 6:45 questions you have. Colonel, come on 6:46 down. 6:46 Thanks, Governor. And I'll just echo 6:49 some of the governor's remarks with 6:50 regards to complacency. I know when 6:53 people hear that it's not going to make 6:55 landfall that there's a sigh of relief. 6:57 But although this will be mainly a 6:59 marine event uh with small craft advis 7:02 advisories with you know certainly high 7:05 risk for rip currents uh and certainly 7:07 those swells but uh that complacency is 7:10 sometimes a deadly attitude to have and 7:13 I know especially those those with 7:15 surfboards uh are chomping at the bit to 7:18 get down there and it is uh it is not 7:20 the time to do that as as excited as 7:22 they may be about hearing about those 7:24 swells. It is dangerous and it is 7:26 deadly. Right now that uh if you've seen 7:29 it's about 750 miles southeast of Cape 7:32 Padis down north off off of North 7:34 Carolina and it'll come up and make that 7:36 hopefully that right turn that we're all 7:38 expecting in those models. Uh but that 7:41 high surf uh dangerous dangerous surf 7:44 conditions and we just ask that you be 7:47 mindful of those red flags and listen to 7:49 those lifeguards. My my family and four 7:52 grandchildren were at Point Pleasant two 7:53 weeks ago and it was a day like today 7:55 and we couldn't understand why they 7:57 wouldn't let us in the water for three 7:58 days straight. And if you've rented a 8:00 house down the shore, uh there's still a 8:03 lot of entertainment to be had without 8:04 going in that water. And the reason we 8:06 couldn't go in the water is because just 8:08 like the governor mentioned, the two 8:10 souls that we've lost this past week 8:12 because it is dangerous and it is hard 8:14 to remain calm when you're in that 8:16 situation. from a state emergency 8:18 operations center perspective. Uh I've 8:21 already been on the phone with uh FEMA 8:22 region 2 this morning. Our state 8:25 emergency operations center will be 8:26 monitoring this along with the National 8:28 Weather Service who's been on this for 8:30 several days. Um and again to the 8:32 governor's point with regard to that 8:34 word moderate uh does not mean it's a a 8:37 slight storm. I think the combination of 8:39 that high tide Thursday night with those 8:41 gale force winds. They have not issued a 8:43 gale advisory yet, but having watched 8:46 storms for the last decade or so, I 8:48 trust that that gale advisory is coming. 8:51 That too will impact the the coastal 8:53 flooding uh areas. So, we will be uh 8:56 monitoring it. We've uh constant contact 8:59 with our county OEM coordinators and 9:01 local uh county o or local municipal OEM 9:04 coordinators. And to the governor's 9:06 point, we'll be on uh shortly with the 9:08 mayors that we anticipate having the 9:10 greatest impact. So, uh, you know, 9:13 always standing ready, uh, certainly at 9:15 the emergency management level. 9:16 Thanks, guys. 9:17 Thanks, Pat. I appreciate that. 9:19 Um, Pat mentioned the Outer Banks in 9:21 North Carolina. There's some evacuations 9:23 that are occurring there. You may ask, 9:25 do we anticipate any here? Not I'm 9:27 knocking on wood at the moment. We 9:28 don't. Uh, but everybody's got to be 9:30 smart. That would be more for flooding 9:32 than it would be for don't go in the 9:34 water reasons. So, Pat, thank you for 9:36 your leadership as always. Again, please 9:38 help me welcome another outstanding 9:39 leader, Commissioner of the Department 9:40 of Environmental Protection, Sean 9:42 Lerette. 9:45 Well, thank you everyone for for joining 9:47 us. Uh, as the governor and the colonel 9:50 mentioned, the conditions along the 9:52 shore are serious. Not only do we have 9:55 Erin approaching, but we've been dealing 9:57 with more localized wind conditions as 10:00 well uh in the recent weeks and 10:02 certainly in the last two days that have 10:04 created uh or lent to an increase in 10:07 that riptide occurrence. Uh so as of uh 10:11 this morning uh we have closed Island 10:13 Beach State Park as the governor 10:15 mentioned. That's the one uh state park 10:18 uh that we have on the shore that uh 10:20 folks can swim at. closed that to 10:22 swimming, but as the governor mentioned, 10:23 there is many many uh great activities 10:26 that you can avoid uh that you can enjoy 10:28 while avoiding the swimming. Uh and so 10:30 Island Beach uh will be open for that. 10:33 Uh, one of the things to to be really 10:35 mindful of here is as we expect the 10:38 storm to move north and then begin 10:40 moving uh more eastward over the next 10:43 several days, the cone of influence for 10:47 that storm, the way that its winds 10:49 affect the tides will extend west toward 10:53 us by several miles. And so that is 10:56 going to increase uh wave heights right 11:00 up to uh some estimates put it around 13 11:03 feet above normal. And if you'd like to 11:06 see what normal is and what actual 11:09 recorded uh wave heights are, you can 11:12 download the My Coast app, which is 11:14 something the state offers for all of 11:16 our residents. Uh and you can see the 11:19 activity at your nearest tide station. 11:22 Uh so I'd encourage everyone to do that 11:24 or go to my coast NJ where you can also 11:27 see that same information online. Uh the 11:30 governor uh made an important point 11:33 about tidal influence in our riverine 11:36 communities. Right. The Delaware River 11:38 is tidal up to Trenton and the effect of 11:42 the tides on our river systems can 11:45 increase flooding conditions in 11:48 particularly urban communities that are 11:50 far from the Jersey shore. And that's 11:52 something to be really mindful of. As we 11:55 see 12 or more feet height in waves, we 11:58 can see the coastal flooding conditions 12:01 that we typically experience be 12:04 exacerbated along the Atlantic coast. 12:06 and particularly along the Delaware 12:08 Bayshore. Uh but as uh we have title 12:11 influence in the Newark Bay up the Payic 12:15 River and in the Hudson, we want to be 12:16 mindful of those flooding conditions 12:18 there as well. Between last Tuesday and 12:22 yesterday, the DP's Office of Coastal 12:25 Engineering has conducted a coastal a 12:27 pre-storm coastal erosion survey along 12:30 two all 210 miles of our coastal beaches 12:34 from the Raritan Bay beaches down the 12:36 Atlantic coast and into the Delaware Bay 12:39 so that we can benchmark the conditions 12:42 and the effect of this storm uh so that 12:46 if there is severe coastal erosion, we 12:48 work with the governor and his team, 12:50 including the chief of staff Hillman and 12:52 and Dan Kelly from the governor's office 12:54 of disaster recovery, uh, to work on 12:57 potential funding if that's necessary. 12:59 We hope it's not, but do please stay out 13:01 of the water if you if if at all you 13:04 can. I understand how enticing it is. We 13:07 work so hard to keep it clean and 13:08 wonderful for you. Uh, but staying out 13:10 of the water is your best bet for the 13:12 next several days. It will peak on 13:13 Thursday, but e or is expected to, but 13:16 even as the storm moves further north 13:18 and then east, we'll we could still see 13:21 the impacts of those wave of that wave 13:24 increase and that wave action increase 13:26 through uh the beginning of the weekend. 13:28 So, vigilance is is key. Uh and uh be 13:32 going to ready.nj.gov 13:34 as often as you can. Thank you. 13:36 Thank you, Sean. I just want to 13:39 underscore something uh that Sean, thank 13:41 you for that. mentioned sort of places 13:44 you wouldn't associate with the Jersey 13:45 Shore. The three of us know all too 13:47 well, our colleagues know all too well, 13:49 some of the worst flooding and and 13:51 unfortunate tragic fatalities have taken 13:54 place in our eight years together. 13:56 Different types of storms admittedly, 13:58 but in places like Elizabeth or 14:00 Irvington or Hillsboro, none none of 14:03 which you'd associate with the Jersey 14:05 Shore. Uh again, different 14:07 characteristics on those storms, but 14:09 don't underestimate John's point about 14:12 some of this coming inland. And the 14:13 secondly, I hope I'm wrong, Dan, uh but 14:16 I'll be shocked if we don't have some 14:18 beach erosion here. And and they're the 14:20 usual suspects. And there are certain 14:23 parts of the shore that we we've been 14:25 chasing our tail on for decades. um not 14:29 not too far from Island Beach, north 14:31 just north of that, Ortley Beach, 14:33 Bayhead down south in the Wildwoods 14:35 would would be two areas that are 14:38 perennially challenges that we try to 14:41 work with the feds and the local 14:42 communities to do our best to push back 14:45 on that. I hope I'm wrong about that, 14:46 but with the nature that we're 14:48 expecting, my guess is questions you've 14:50 got. 14:52 Governor, can you speak to the 14:53 challenges for first responders to 14:56 assuming 14:58 What is the protocol there? 15:06 How does this work? 15:06 Yeah, I mean the you you saw this and I 15:08 don't want to get into the specifics 15:10 because there was loss of life. But one 15:13 message ought to be screaming here. If 15:16 there's a red flag, don't go in the 15:17 water and don't even think about going 15:19 near the water if there's no lifeguard 15:21 on duty. Uh and we should have said 15:23 that, so I'm glad you asked that. that 15:25 their responsibility is to save lives. 15:27 Um, absolutely. And in at least one of 15:30 these incidents that took place last 15:31 week, gentlemen, if I'm not mistaken, 15:33 there were a number of lives that were 15:35 at risk, many of whom were saved. Sadly, 15:37 and tragically, one was not. That 15:40 reminds me to make a point Tim Hillman 15:42 wanted me to make. Uh we've gotten a 15:44 very ver fair amount of input on 15:47 bilingual communication particularly in 15:50 Spanish on some of these warnings which 15:52 we are aggressively Tyler and her team 15:54 are aggressively pursuing. Anything else 15:56 you want to say about first responders? 15:58 The go hit it. I mean it's the 16:00 lifeguards are the are the primary first 16:02 line of defense but our marine services 16:04 bureau out there patrolling the entire 16:07 coast. Our partnership with the Coast 16:08 Guard has never been better. Um, but 16:11 that rapid response, it doesn't take all 16:13 too long to to lose life out there. And 16:16 so, um, you know, we'll be out there. I 16:18 know that. But it's it's difficult to 16:20 save lives once, uh, once they've been 16:22 pulled away in it. 16:23 You know, Sean mentioned that Island 16:24 Beach State Park is open for business, 16:26 but swimming there is not. And I 16:28 presumably you've got a whole army of 16:30 people there, lifeguards and others to 16:32 enforce that. 16:33 Police officers. 16:34 Yeah, there's their own their own police 16:36 force. They work closely with the state 16:38 police, lifeguards, etc. Please 16:42 Good morning. 16:50 I think we should probably hold off on 16:52 that. If you read the press, the 16:53 overwhelming speculation is a rip 16:56 current, but I I don't probably probably 16:58 shouldn't get into any of the specifics 17:00 on that if it's okay. 17:12 Y 17:18 yeah. So we've already It's not like 17:20 we're waiting for this. This is a group 17:21 call, but we've been on I've been back 17:23 and forth with mayors, myself, our team, 17:25 Tim and Rob Field, who's known to 17:27 everybody, I think, in the state. I 17:28 think there's no one in the state that 17:30 doesn't have Rob's cell phone number, 17:32 including one mayor that was mad at him. 17:33 actually put it up on a billboard a few 17:35 years ago. Um uh but we're in touch with 17:38 these folks constantly. This is a group 17:41 call that'll take place literally right 17:42 after our gathering. Uh Pat and Sean 17:45 will be on with me, Dan and Tim and Rob. 17:48 Um and we'll go through a lot of what 17:50 we've just said. will probably raise as 17:53 a more as an offer of help than 17:57 Bigfooting whether or not it would help 18:00 local communities message against 18:03 complacency if we were to come in and 18:05 say there's no swimming on the Jersey 18:08 Shore through X day. That's something 18:10 we'll probably test with these mayors if 18:12 they want that. We would still reserve 18:14 the right if we think even if they 18:15 didn't want it that we would need to do 18:16 it. As Dan reminded me, we closed 18:18 beaches during COVID, so we have the 18:20 authority to to do it, but that's 18:22 something we want to talk to them about. 18:24 I think we're going to plead with them 18:26 to put the red flags up until further 18:29 notice. Is that fair to say, guys? Um, 18:32 and to make sure their messaging is 18:35 amplified by us and that that they can 18:38 amplify our messaging as well, including 18:41 you can still have a great time on the 18:43 shore this week. Um, lots of pools. Uh, 18:47 again, it's a it's a weird dynamic, 18:49 admittedly. You're not going to have 18:51 thunder, lightning, might have a little 18:53 rain tomorrow, a little bit into 18:55 Thursday morning, but this is largely a 18:56 good weather week. So, there's there's 18:58 really no restriction other than 19:00 swimming in the ocean in terms of what 19:02 you can do. And that's a message we want 19:04 to make sure people get out. This is one 19:06 of the biggest weeks of the summer. 19:08 Thank you, 19:09 sir. 19:20 I think most of this, you should expect, 19:21 I think most of this will be done at the 19:23 community level. You're starting to see 19:25 the dominoes fall. We've got a up and 19:28 down the shore, whether it's county 19:30 executives or shore mayors, an 19:33 incredibly responsible group of leaders 19:35 who we've worked with now for eight 19:37 years through thick and thin, including 19:39 bad storms and COVID. to pick two 19:42 examples. So, I personally am optimistic 19:44 that the right decisions will get made 19:47 locally and you're starting to see that 19:49 as we speak. You saw Tony Vos in Seaside 19:51 Heights for instance very aggressively 19:54 uh responding to the tragedy there. 19:57 You've seen Wildwood, Atlantic City, I 19:59 think now Asbury Park, Island Beach 20:02 State Park. I I hope that folks would 20:04 look to us in terms of uh at least to 20:08 some extent a role model on on on 20:10 decisions on this. Sean, with our 20:13 support, has made the decision to ban 20:15 swimming at Island Beach State Park, 20:16 which is our big exposure on the shore. 20:19 Uh it's a 10 mile stretch of beach. 20:21 Gorgeous, by the way. Voted a few years 20:23 ago number one state park in America. Uh 20:26 had to get that in. Um, so I I would 20:29 hope that but if if we think that in 20:32 particular the shore mayors and and 20:34 county executives 20:36 need help in amplifying and sort of 20:40 strengthening the message that they're 20:42 trying to deliver locally. We're open to 20:44 helping them in any way we can, 20:46 including a blanket step. Right now I my 20:50 gut tells me we we won't need to do 20:51 that, but that's something that we we at 20:53 least have on the table as an option. 20:56 Governing 21:00 is Thursday night. 21:02 You guys should come in on this. 21:05 Although it's right now in terms of rip 21:06 current. 21:07 Okay. 21:07 So, 21:08 yeah. So, the rip currents have been 21:11 increasing in recent days and we've had 21:13 an experience growing over the last 21:14 several weeks with with rip currents in 21:16 in in New Jersey or off our coast. the 21:19 as the storm makes its way, it's closest 21:21 to our um or closest to us on that 21:26 Thursday. So the the effects are 21:28 expected to be, you know, the precipice 21:30 at that point, right? But even as it 21:33 moves further away from us, right? 21:35 Because it's it's going like this, 21:37 right? It's making a bend. Even as it 21:40 moves further away from us, the winds 21:41 will still affect us. And so you can 21:44 expect these conditions likely into at 21:47 least the early part of the weekend. 21:50 The other the other thing that I think 21:51 is worth repeating is what Pat 21:53 mentioned. I think we all mentioned 21:55 there's a particular moment that we're 21:57 expecting Thursday evening with the 22:00 combination of high tide, highest level 22:03 of swells in terms of the flooding risk. 22:06 So put aside the personal safety risk 22:08 which is acute there that's when we are 22:11 most concerned about the the potential 22:14 for flooding 22:17 again ready.nj.gov 22:19 Please, folks, I'm begging you, take 22:21 this seriously. Enjoy the shore. Enjoy 22:23 this beautiful weather. Uh, but stay out 22:25 of the water. Thank you all. Thanks. 22:39 This has been breaking news. 22:44 A proposed MTA fair hike will be up for 22:46 public discussion beginning today. And 22:48 that's not the only big

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