MAINE PUBLIC • August 21, 2025
The National Weather Service has issued a high rip current risk and high surf advisory for the entire Maine coast until Saturday, as Hurricane Erin makes its way up the East Coast. The system will not bring rain or even cloud cover but will generate large, powerful waves that make swimming dangerous. Derek Schroeter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said the hurricane is churning offshore, creating what's known as a long period swell, with larger and more powerful waves than usual. "Looking out on a day where you see waves roll in every five or six seconds, here we're looking at waves rolling in every 15 to 17 seconds," he said. "And so that longer period allows there to be more power with each incoming wave."