Going to the beach in NJ this week? You could be in grave danger in the water

🌀 Tropical Storm Idalia is at its closest point to New Jersey on Thursday

🌀 Franklin is moving away from the East Coast but is still impacting the Jersey Shore

🌀 Jersey Shore beaches are keeping swimmers out of the water

Red flags will fly again at the Jersey Shore as Hurricane Franklin continues to churn up the ocean with dangerous surf and strong rip currents into the beginning of the holiday weekend.

Franklin is several hundred miles away from New Jersey with 100 mph winds as it heads east but is expected to impact New Jersey and the East Coast through at least Saturday.

Tropical Storm Idalia is at its closest point to New Jersey on Thursday located 300 miles south of Cape May, according to New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow.

Idalia will move east in the Atlantic Ocean before making a turn north on Sunday and staying far from the coast

"Higher astronomical tides and the Blue Supermoon full moon and lingering swells from Franklin will keep the risk of high tides through Saturday," Zarrow said.

What are the NJ beaches looking like?

Seaside Heights Beach Patrol Captain Robert Connor said the cloudy weather has kept the beach crowds small and problems minimal.

"Wednesday we didn't let people in the water at all. It was just too rough. If you got knocked off your feet, you were going backward," Connor said. "A lot of surfers were in so we watch them too. We've had a lot of injuries in the past."

Connor said the lifeguard stands were moved to the back of the beach because of higher-than-normal tides.

The effects of both storms on most of New Jersey will decrease on Friday. Onshore winds could keep water from draining out of the back bays with moderate flooding levels lingering in Cape May.

Summer heat makes a return in the second half of the weekend.

"A heatwave kicks in Sunday or Monday with 90s lasting through much of next week," Zarrow said.

NJ sends rescuers to South Carolina

Forty-five members of New Jersey’s Task Force 1 in Columbia, South Carolina, awaiting their assignment to begin assisting residents affected by Idalia.

Two more volunteers from the American Red Cross New Jersey chapter are headed south bringing to 8 the number of volunteers from the Garden State . Two volunteers departed Pennsauken in their emergency response vehicle and will arrive in Alabama on Thursday

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