Storms soaked the coast. Now the surf turns dangerous. Hurricane Erin’s muscle in the Atlantic will drive big waves and rip currents along Georgia beaches—even without a landfall here.

🌊 Why It Matters: If you’re headed to Tybee, St. Simons, Jekyll or Cumberland, the ocean will look inviting and turn on you fast. Rip current rescues spike on days like this. Inland, the main story is heat and spotty storms—good news for travel, but not a free pass at the shore.

⛅ What’s Happening: Forecasters say slow-moving downpours Saturday dropped more than four inches of rain in parts of the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry in under two hours, prompting flood alerts before storms eased near sunset. Sunday brings a warm, sticky start and a hot, humid afternoon with about a 30% shot at storm.

A distant Hurricane Erin will tug northeast winds into Georgia early week, taking a little edge off humidity and trimming rain chances Monday through Wednesday. Showers and storms build back late week.

🏖️ Beach Hazards: The National Hurricane Center says Erin intensified into a Category 5 hurricane late morning Saturday and will send powerful, long-period swells across the Western Atlantic. Translation for Georgia: rough surf and a high risk of rip currents all week, even with sunny skies onshore.

🧭 Between The Lines: Erin jumped from a Category 1 to Category 5 in roughly 24 hours, per the National Hurricane Center—exactly the kind of rapid ramp-up that leaves little margin for coastal plans anywhere along the Atlantic.

📌 Catch Up: Saturday’s storms were hyper-local but intense, flooding low spots from Savannah to Beaufort before draining out after sunset. By comparison, early this week looks quieter inland—more heat than lightning—thanks to drier northeast flow tied to Erin’s broad circulation.

🌐 The Big Picture: Georgia won’t take a hit from Erin based on current guidance, but the state still rides the edges of major systems: on the coast, rip currents and beach erosion; inland, a nudge toward drier, hotter afternoons before the late-week rain pattern returns.

🚦 What You Can Do Now:

  • Pick guarded beaches and swim near lifeguards if you go. If there’s no lifeguard, skip it.
  • Check local beach flags and city social feeds before heading out.
  • If caught in a rip current, stay calm, float, and swim parallel to shore to escape—then angle in.