Coastal flood and beach erosion are also possible this week as Hurricane Erin passes far off the Jersey Shore.

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.

Hurricane Erin is expected to bring dangerous surf at the Jersey Shore even as it stays off of the coast. Lifeguards are issuing renewed advice about what to do if you get caught in a rip current.

Rip currents are the third leading cause of deaths from hurricanes, and they can happen on a sunny day hundreds of miles from the storm.

Hurricane Erin is expected to bring dangerous surf and rip currents to the Jersey Shore this week as it tracks far offshore.

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.

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

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.