As of Monday afternoon, Hurricane Erin was spinning several hundred miles south and east of Florida and forecasters are expecting the storm to grow bigger.

Some beaches in the Delaware Valley have prohibited swimming as a precaution as Hurricane Erin moves closer to the East Coast.

The effects of Hurricane Erin are being felt at the Jersey shore and towns are taking drastic steps to save lives

Flooding, rip current and small craft weather alerts were issued by the NWS for South Jersey as result of Hurricane Erin.

The tropical cyclone is now to the East of the Bahamas, moving north and expected to skirt past the Northeast coastline.

In fact, in over a century, no hurricane has made landfall in the Garden State. Most of the systems that make it here have been tropical storms. Since the 1960s, New Jersey has seen roughly six tropical storms every 20 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Historical Hurricane Tracks.

Tragedy strikes the Jersey Shore as two drownings prompt urgent safety warnings from officials. With Hurricane Erin approaching, swimmers are reminded to stay close to lifeguards and heed caution.

Hurricane Erin has surged to Category 4 storm status and could bring dangerous surf and rip currents to the Jersey Shore next week as it remains far out to see.