Second and Third beaches in #MiddletownRI will close Thursday and Friday due to impacts from Hurricane Erin. Town officials said the growing surf, potential rip currents and the safety of residents and visitors were drivers behind the decision.
HURRICANE ERIN FORCES CLOSURE OF SECOND, THIRD BEACHES
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (AUGUST 20, 2025) – Second and Third beaches will be off limits to the public Thursday and Friday.
Town officials announced the decision Wednesday afternoon during a meeting at the main beach building, saying the move was being made in anticipation of heavy surf and rip currents from Hurricane Erin.
Everyone on hand agreed the first priority was to keep everyone safe and out of the water, where seven foot swells were pounding the shoreline much of the day from the building Atlantic storm.
Neither beach will be staffed Thursday or Friday. To limit access to the beaches, Sachuest Point Road will be closed Thursday and Friday between Purgatory Road and Hanging Rocks Road.
Guests at the town’s Second Beach Family Campground are not being ordered to evacuate at this time. They will have access to the Sachuest Point Road campground via Hanging Rocks Road and Third Beach Road.
“(Thursday and Friday) are not the days to be learning how to swim,” Fire Chief Robert McCall said, who serves as Middletown’s emergency management director. “When the forecasts are for the surf and swells we’re already starting to see, this is the course that makes the most sense. We want to make sure everyone stays safe.”
According to the latest projections, Erin is expected to stay in the Atlantic and not make landfall anywhere on the Eastern seaboard.
However, that’s not to say the storm wasn’t already having impacts on shoreline communities like Middletown, where there were larger than normal waves and chop.
Heeding the advice of weather forecasters and experts, the parking lot at the Sachuest Point Road beach was mostly empty Wednesday afternoon, minus a large truck making a food delivery.
The town had several portable signboards posted in strategic locations by the beaches, warning visitors of the dangerous conditions in the water.
“The waves have been building since late (Tuesday) and they’re only getting bigger,” Beach Manager Michael McGourty said. “We need to make sure everyone gets the message to stay out of the water because with conditions like this, things can get serious quickly.”
“I want to thank everyone for pulling together here,” McCall added. “Police, fire, public works, the town, beach staff, everyone has been outstanding and we’re all completely on the same page with this."
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Erin
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
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