The story of the beaches last weekend was yellow flags and more Portuguese man-o-wars than could fit in a five-gallon bucket.
John Ryan Jr., East Hampton Town’s head lifeguard, said persistent southerly winds had created a windswell that led to strong rip currents. “The rips were pulling a lot of people out at Atlantic Beach,” he said. On the bright side, bad weather, coupled perhaps with the large number of man-o-wars that littered the wrack line, kept many away from the water.
“They were all along the beach,” Mr. Ryan said. A Ditch Plain lifeguard was stung in the neck. “You have to be very careful with them. When they’re found on the beach, our guards dig a hole and bury them in the sand.”
The stormy seas also brought in lots of heavy driftwood, which lifeguards rope and drag high up on the beach. “Otherwise, next high tide it gets sucked back out,” Mr. Ryan said.
A brand-new skimboard led to brand new stitches for one young man, but over all, he said it was a relatively quiet week for his guards.
Drew Smith, head lifeguard for East Hampton Village, said while nobody was stung by man-o-wars on village beaches, guards collected a couple dozen in a bucket and removed them from the beach.
“The rips have been unusually frequent this year,” Mr. Smith said. Sunday’s deluge, he commented, didn’t add to beach erosion. “When it rains with thunder and lightning, people stay away from the beaches. They like to drive up and take a look at the water, but then they drive off. The rain actually calmed everything down and cleaned up the water.”