Hurricane Bill spinning past New England shores

EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — Hurricane Bill taunted the New England coastline from a distance Sunday, after closing beaches and setting off a string of safety warnings for weekend boaters, swimmers and surfers along the eastern seaboard.

President Barack Obama took no chances and planned a later arrival for his family vacation at Martha’s Vineyard.

Early Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said the tropical storm warning was lifted for the Massachusetts’ coastline, including Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

By mid-morning, Bill had become more of a tourist attraction than a major threat to the area.

Dozens of people showed up at South Beach on Martha’s Vineyard with their cameras and camcorders to watch the big waves and churning Atlantic.

Several people even decided to wade into the water, despite the warnings of lifeguards about the dangerous rip currents.

“It’s just crazy out there,“ said James Costantini, 19, a lifeguard in Edgertown. “For Martha’s Vineyard, for what we’re used to, it’s a 10 out of 10 in terms of danger. People should not be going in the water, should not be even close.“

Residents, including Justin Wyner were relieved that property damage was kept to a minimum. The water was reaching the top of the dunes, and some lifeguard stands had been damaged by waves, but flooding was minimal.

“I’m pleased to be honest with you to see that we didn’t lose very much during this storm, said Justin Wyner, 84, a part time resident of the island. “My biggest concern was what caused me to take all my boats and put all the work into bringing them way up into the harbor and securing them. I think that maybe because we did that, we didn’t have a storm.“

Forecasters said that the hurricane was moving away from the New England coast offshore and closer to Nova Scotia, and was expected to approach Newfoundland by Sunday night. By early Sunday, it was about 175 miles (285 km) south-southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to the National Hurricane Center.

More than 50 flights at Halifax airport were canceled Sunday, and a ferry service between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland was suspended for the day.

Provincial parks in Nova Scotia were shut down and people were advised to stay clear of beaches.

The Canadian Hurricane Center said southwestern Nova Scotia could get whipped by 55 mph winds Sunday, while eastern regions of the province and Cape Breton Island of could see gusts of more than 60 mph.

On Monday, the storm is expected to make landfall in Newfoundland, where tropical storm watches are in effect for the entire province, with the lone exception of the Northern Peninsula.

Early Sunday, the storm had maximum sustained winds near 85 mph (140 kph) and was moving 31 mph in a northeast direction. The storm is expected to weaken as it moves over cooler waters.

Even as it weakened to a Category 1 hurricane Saturday, the tempest churned up rough seas and dangerous rip tides.

The Obamas delayed their planned Sunday morning departure from Andrews Air Force Base to Sunday mid-afternoon because of the weather, White House aides said. The worst of Bill was expected to pass east of Martha’s Vineyard before the Obamas arrival.

At Robert Moses State Park in New York, the beach was shut down Saturday as the high tide submerged the sand, though the beach opened later for sunbathing. Along some beaches in Delaware and New Jersey, no swimming was allowed.

The same high waves that worried safety officials, however, had surfers buzzing.

In Atlantic City, N.J., surfers gathered Saturday on beaches where 20-foot waves were expected. But only a few were willing to take their boards into the big swells.

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, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “Until it does, riptides will make dangerous sport” for surfers and swimmers.

Hurricane Bill moved past Bermuda earlier Saturday, leaving behind sunny skies, debris and flooding, but no casualties. The storm cut power to about 3,700 customers and flooded some roads. All ferry service was canceled until Sunday.

Meanwhile, forecasters said Sunday that Tropical Storm Hilda had strengthened slightly far out in the Pacific but was not threatening land. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and was about 2,025 miles (3,260 km) west-southwest of the tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, and 1,125 miles (1,810 km) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.