Southampton Town lifeguards will post the double red flags of hurricane conditions and close its beaches to swimming today as swells from Hurricane Erin are expected to rise up to 15 feet and create hazardous surf conditions over the next two days. As reported on 27east.com, East Hampton Town’s emergency managers say they are also making preparations and may have to close beaches to swimming as well.

“We’re prepared to go to no swimming if deemed appropriate and to close the beaches if it becomes a safety issue,” East Hampton Councilman David Lys said yesterday. “Lifeguards are removing the stands, we’re preparing to drop sand to plug gaps [in the dunes] if needed, we’re coordinating with the Montauk Chamber of Commerce to make sure the hotels are taking precautions, and we may close the dune crossovers.”

Southampton Town Emergency Management Coordinator Ryan Murphy said that the town’s lifeguards have said they will close the town’s beaches on Wednesday and that the town is organizing other potential responses needed and putting out general advisories to residents to be aware of dangerous conditions along the beach and on roadways.

The Suffolk County Department of Parks announced that it will close the outer beach campgrounds at Shinnecock East County Park, Cupsogue Beach and Montauk County Park today at 5 p.m. and the campgrounds will remain closed on Thursday and Friday, the county said in a statement on social media.

Southampton Village Police Chief Suzanne Hurteau said in a statement yesterday that vehicle access and swimming at all Southampton Village beaches will be prohibited from 6 a.m. today until at least 8 p.m. this coming Friday.

Last night, New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered swimming to be prohibited at all Long Island state parks through at least tomorrow.

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The Suffolk County Water Authority announced late yesterday that, while its Stage 1 Water Alert remains in effect, its request last week that all customers refrain entirely from lawn watering is now lifted. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Suffolk County Water Authority is asking its customers to continue to follow odd/even irrigation schedules, only irrigating their lawn on even days if they have an even street number, or on odd days if have an odd street number. “We still have many weeks of summer ahead, when water demand is at its highest, so it is important we all remain vigilant,” SCWA said in their announcement.

The actions have come amid "abnormally dry" conditions on Long Island since the start of the year, the U.S. Drought Monitor said.

The SCWA in July warned that customers could see "reduced water pressure at their homes or businesses" if water usage continued to remain too high. They said that low tank levels could increase risk of not having enough water pressure and stockpiles needed to combat a fire emergency.

However, the Suffolk County Water Authority said yesterday it was easing an earlier appeal for customers to "refrain entirely from" watering their lawns amid dry conditions and heightened water usage.

The authority said in an email that conservation efforts had led to improved conditions since it declared a water alert last week.

"We are grateful for the steps taken to reduce usage during this time," the authority said in the email.

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The North Fork Action Center, which works to protect the U.S. Constitution, work toward justice, civic engagement, evidence-based science, diversity and a free press, hosts BFFF = Bring Finger Food and a Friend, this coming Friday, Aug. 22 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The group will share food and thoughts, and everyone will get a chance to make more connections within our community. The event is free.

That’s this Friday at 6 p.m. in the First Universalist Church of Southold (also known as church on the bend), 51900 Route 25, Southold, NY 11971

Per the North fork action center website: “There won’t be an agenda we will discuss our way through. Instead, we will very, very briefly explain what North Fork Action is and then everyone gets to eat and mingle. To make it easier to build connections, we will provide prompts for meaningful conversations. So get ready to meet people who care as much as you do, and go chat with that person.”

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Long Island prosecutors are probing whether “designer drugs” played a role in the mysterious Montauk Yacht Club death of Irish fashion designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said yesterday.

Brandon Cruz, Kevin Sheehan and Jorge Fitz-Gibbon report in THE NY POST that investigators have not yet determined what killed the 33-year-old woman, who was found dead on a boat at the Montauk Yacht Club Aug. 5, but sources have said authorities suspect an accidental overdose.

Officials are awaiting more autopsy results before concluding the probe, Tierney told The Post.

“Specifically, we’re talking about primarily the toxicology — the official final toxicology report,” the DA said.

“In our society right now, the way we’ve evolved with these designer drugs, all these substances that are created in a lab, you want to be extra careful that whatever testing you’ve done is comprehensive and complete before you` make any findings in the case…Oftentimes it’s not just one substance,” he said.

“What you do is you test for heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, right?” Tierney said. “Now you want to test for zylazine, you want to test for nylazine…You want to make sure it’s as comprehensive as possible, just because you may get a result on one substance that doesn’t preclude the possibility that another substance was used as well,” said the Suffolk D.A.

Nolan-O’Slatarra, who migrated to the US from Ireland in 2018, co-owned swimwear company East x East and summered in the Hamptons, where she was featured in pop-up fashion shows.

Police responding to a 911 call found her on a boat named “Ripple” at the club, where she was pronounced dead after CPR attempts by bystanders failed to revive her.

There have been no arrests in the case, nor have prosecutors suggested foul play.

A funeral for Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra is scheduled for today in her hometown of Carlow, a small Irish village about 50 miles from Dublin.

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Long Island will feel the power of Hurricane Erin from hundreds of miles away today and into Friday as it brings strong winds, dangerous waves and the threat of local flooding, forecasters said. As reported by Newsday Staff the storm is causing life-threatening surf and rip currents for the Atlantic Ocean beaches, forcing the closure of Long Island's ocean beaches to swimming, authorities said. That threat steadily increases into Thursday night and Friday morning before diminishing as the weekend arrives and Erin passes well off into the Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Strong winds are expected to gust 25 to 35 mph tomorrow morning into midday Friday in coastal locations, with isolated gusts up to 40 mph possible. The highest winds are expected across eastern Long Island, forecasters said.

A coastal flood watch is in effect for southern Long Island, southern Queens and Brooklyn for Thursday evening's high tide cycle.

The threat for dune erosion, beach flooding and escarpment will become more widespread with successive high tides beginning this evening into Friday morning, forecasters said.

Forecasters are warning of 10-15 foot breaking surf and an elevated storm tide.

There is potential for widespread moderate coastal flooding with Thursday evening's high tide cycle.

A gale warning is in effect across the ocean waters Thursday through Friday, for wind gust up to 40 knots and ocean seas up to 15 foot or more, the Hurricane Center said. Dangerous conditions are expected around inlets and the entrance to eastern Long Island Sound.

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The Hampton Bays Civic Association will hold its monthly meeting this coming Monday, Aug. 25, at the Hampton Bays Community Center on Ponquogue Avenue in Hampton Bays. Doors open for refreshments at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m. The meeting will feature presentations from candidates running for director positions on the Civic Association board. Southampton Town Councilmember Rick Martel is also scheduled to provide an update on town issues. For more information, visit hbcivic.org.

That’s this coming Monday at 7pm in the Hampton Bays Community Center.

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A JetBlue flight that took off from Long Island MacArthur last Wednesday had to make an emergency landing at Kennedy Airport, where airport firefighters said an engine was "completely destroyed."

JetBlue Flight 547, which departed MacArthur for Orlando at 1:45 p.m. Aug. 13, reported engine failure on the Airbus 320 shortly after takeoff. The pilot radioed ahead to Kennedy that the plane "just lost an engine," declaring an emergency and requesting to land, according to air traffic records.

John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the flight was diverted after the pilot reported a "possible engine issue," but the FAA did not have additional details.

The pilot reported "engine failure" during several calm messages with the control tower on a plan to land at Kennedy, according to air traffic recordings by the website LiveATC and a YouTube video by "You Can See ATC."

The plane circled over Long Island and landed safely at Kennedy about an hour after takeoff with "167 souls" on board, according to the transmission. But the failed engine was much worse than the flight crew realized.

"Engine 2 is completely destroyed. It looks like the entire surface got torched out," a runway inspector said after the landing. "I can actually see right through the engine almost."

"The engine failed and we might have some damage," the pilot said before the inspection. "The engine failed on takeoff out of Islip. We secured it. We pushed our engine fire button on it" and also deployed the plane’s fire extinguisher canisters or "squib" as a precaution.

The plane was then towed back to the JFK Jetway for passengers to be evacuated.

The Town of Islip, which manages MacArthur, confirmed the emergency after takeoff, "However, the flight crew made the decision to declare an emergency and divert to their JFK hub."

The FAA said it was investigating.

JetBlue company officials said yesterday the plane was taken out of service and passengers boarded another flight to Orlando.