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Hurricane Bill Weakens to Category 1

By CHRIS GILLETTE

posted: 1 HOUR 29 MINUTES AGO

comments: 768

filed under: Hurricane News, National News, Weather News

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HAMILTON, Bermuda (Aug. 22) - A weakening Hurricane Bill spun northward Saturday, churning up rough seas, creating dangerous rip tides and closing beaches to swimmers up and down the eastern seaboard, including President Obama's planned vacation spot, Martha's Vineyard.

The Category 1 hurricane was expected to pass the mainland well off New England, but was still packing high winds and waves that had safety officials urging extreme caution.

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The Atlantic Season's First Hurricane

Hurricane Bill, here in the open Atlantic on Friday, was expected to cause major flooding in Bermuda through Saturday. Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Bahamas were also seeing large swells from the Category 3 storm.

NOAA

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Also See: Check Out Hurricane's Location and Projected Path

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

"It's just too dangerous right now," Rehoboth Beach Patrol Capt. Kent Buckson said.

On Saturday evening, Bill had maximum sustained winds near 85 mph and was about 300 miles south-southeast of Nantucket, Mass., and about 585 miles south-southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

A tropical storm warning was issued Saturday for Massachusetts, including the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, meaning tropical storm-force winds of 40 mph or more could hit the coastline in the next 24 hours.

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The worst of Bill was expected to pass about 150 to 200 miles east of Martha's Vineyard before Obama's arrival on Sunday, and there was no word from the White House that the Obamas were changing vacation plans.

On Saturday, nearly all south-facing beaches on the island were closed to swimmers and large signs blocked roadways to shorefronts. Meanwhile, lifeguards used caution tape to rope off access points, and police patrolled the beach to enforce the closings.

"The concern we have now is that the riptides are very strong," said lifeguard James Costantini. "There's a very strong undertow."

Longtime Vineyard vacationer Jack DeCoste, 69, of Plymouth, Mass., was unimpressed with the storm as he lounged in a beach chair in Edgartown.

"I don't think it's going to impact things that much," DeCoste said. "I think it'll be in and out of here fairly quickly."

The high waves that worried safety officials had surfers buzzing. Scott Fisher, 38, was at Nantasket Beach in Hull, where the morning's moderate waves were expected to build throughout the day.

"People wait all summer for this," he said.

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The storm was expected to reach Canadian waters early Sunday, and the Canadian Hurricane Center on Saturday issued a hurricane watch for areas of Nova Scotia, where winds speeds could hit 74 mph with gusts of 87 mph.

Marine Atlantic suspended ferry service between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and North Sydney, Nova Scotia, beginning Sunday morning, saying the risks were just too high.

In Nova Scotia, provincial parks have been shut down and people advised to stay clear of beaches.

"The waves, they're very pretty to look at but very dangerous," Barry Manuel of the Halifax Emergency Management Office said Saturday.

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.

Atlantic City Beach Patrol Chief Rod Aluise told The Press of Atlantic City that some surfers just stood on the beach "with their eyes popping out" at the size of the waves.

"This is only for experienced surfers," Aluise said.

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 mostly spared the pink-sand shores, though it cut power to about 3,700 customers and flooded some roads along the northern coast. The airport was closed overnight and expected to reopen Saturday afternoon. All ferry service was canceled until Sunday.

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Bermudians and tourists awoke to some water on the roads, rain and gusting winds.

"It was something to behold. I've never been in a hurricane before," said ESPN sportscaster Kenny Mayne, who hoped to return to the U.S. on Sunday.

A government spokeswoman said the British territory's hospitals had no storm-related patients.

Associated Press Writers Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, N.J.; Karen Testa in Hull, Mass.; Jay Lindsay in Boston; Jennifer Peltz in New York; Amanda Dale in Hamilton, Bermuda; Rob Gillies in Toronto and Gillian Gaynair in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2009-08-22 06:32:23

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SMBURWICK

06:46 PMAug 22 2009

xanadar240; Bo and wife went to France, England, Italy and Moscow. Call it whatever you want---I call those vacations. Plus, this guy has not stayed in the WH any weekend since he was sworn in. President's wifes are not elected. Most first ladies had 1-4 people taking care of their whims. Michelle has 21 people working for her and a payroll of 1.2 million. Don't complain about Bush. His term is over. People bashed him, threatened him, wished him ill for eight years. This guy now is taking us for an expensive ride nationally and especially for his hi brow ambition.

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SiGnBrAt04

06:41 PMAug 22 2009

Dal31550-I live here jersey g. and you are full of shyt.hey Dal... if u are living in NJ it raining there too?and we are full of shit I think u are full of bullcrap

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alanliu417

06:40 PMAug 22 2009

http://www.bhshoe.com$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$Air jordan(1-24)shoes $33/Nike shox(R4,NZ,OZ,TL1,TL2,TL3) $35/Handbags(Coach lv fendi d&g) $35/Tshirts (Polo ,ed hardy,lacoste) $16/Jean(True Religion,ed hardy,coogi) $30/Sunglasses(Oakey,coach,gucci,Armaini) $16/New era cap $15/Bikini (Ed hardy,polo) $25/FREE SHIPPING

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SMBURWICK

06:40 PMAug 22 2009

One college in California did a study of the global warming BS. and said that it is not true and we are good to go for many more years. Also, one of the inspector generals did a study of the warming trends and the study showed that we have stayed the same or colder. BO chumps canned the study and would not release it of course, then they wouldn't be able to shove Cap and Trade down our throats. The healthcare also involves the green crap also. I swear it is a scam for democraps to get rich.

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Tapdancinmouz

06:33 PMAug 22 2009

LOL,DOMBSKI,BUT YOU MISPELLED YOUR LAST NAME. CHANGE THE "O" TO A "U "AND YOU'LL BE ON A ROLL.

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funnybuddy25SH

06:29 PMAug 22 2009

Whoa Is it Going to hit NY???

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alanliu417

06:23 PMAug 22 2009

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Sarahsmommie2

06:20 PMAug 22 2009

THOSE 1200 OR SO PEOPLE THAT DIED DURING KATRINA WERE ALL OLD CITIZENS ...NOT BY AGE BUT BY THE TIME THEY LIVED THERE,...OF NEW ORLEANS... KNEW WHAT A STORM LIKE THAT COULD DO...LIKE CAMILLE IN '69 AND STAYED BY CHOICE...IDIOTS...ALL OF THEM.. THEY HAD 4 DAYS AT LEAST TO GET OUT BUT NOOOOOO.... I ALSO BLAME THEIR MAYOR FROM TURNING AWAY ALMOST A THOUSAND SCHOOL BUSES SENT THERE TO TAKE THE PEOPLE OUT.. HE TURNED THEM BACK WANTING ONLY GREYHOUND FOR HIS PEOPLE...FOOL !I WENT THRU CAMILLE...WORSE STORM EVER WIND WISE..

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Reinventex101

06:18 PMAug 22 2009

I just love the yellow-stream media. Rather than the headline being: "NO PROBLEM", it's "DAMN, SOME PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BUT MAYBE NEXT TIME!"

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Fred Dombski

06:18 PMAug 22 2009

Oh that's right Tapdancinmoose. No one can refute your exalted WMD Bush. The idiot led the country and YOU into an idiotic war that has had no positive effect. In fact it's his 2 terms that have produced the worst economic times since the depression. You're answer is he had 2 terms. That only shows the "lunacy" of the "American" people. You call yourself American but you don't live by anything the Constitution says. You are a bigot and a fraud.

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