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Hermine causing riptides and waves on shore, little rain or wind expected inland

NEW LONDON – Hermine will continue to twist hundreds of miles off shore in the Atlantic Ocean keeping swimmers and surfers out of beach waters.  The storm...
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NEW LONDON - Hermine will continue to twist hundreds of miles off shore in the Atlantic Ocean keeping swimmers and surfers out of beach waters.  The storm is expected to bring dangerous waves and rip currents as it passes by on the last day of the long holiday weekend.

A tropical storm warnings remained in effect along the eastern coast of Long Island, as well as Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the islands.

Wind gusts up to 50 mph were expected, threatening to create scattered power outages, as the former hurricane meanders out at sea.

Dennis Feltgen of the National Hurricane Center said Sunday "We're not looking at a landfall," adding Hermine is just sitting and pushing the water up along the coast making storm surge a great concern.

The Block Island ferry has cancelled service for Monday.

FOX 61 Meteorologist Dan Amarante said the winds are expected to slowly pick up during the day Monday from the northeast at around 10-25 mph. Gusts may be up to 40 mph for the shoreline at times, but it doesn't appear there will be widespread power outages. Winds will be lower inland where no outages are forecast at this time.

There may be some minor coastal flooding  in one or two isolated areas and little rain is expected.

Governor Dannel Malloy  updated Connecticut residents regarding tropical storm Hermine Sunday morning.

Malloy spoke alongside Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman from the State Emergency Operations Center in Hartford.

He said that the storm may have minimal impact but the biggest concern is minor to moderate flooding during high tide,  dangerous rip currents, and any wind conditions that may develop. He calls on people along the shoreline to stay up to date with any changing weather conditions, especially during the high tide cycles over the next two days.

He also partially activated the emergency operations center at 6 p.m. Sunday to monitor conditions across the state, in order to be ready to send assistance to any community should it be necessary.

Residents can also download the CT Prepares app on Google Play or the iOS App Store.

Royal Caribbean cruise ship Anthem of the Seas, which was heading from New Jersey to Bermuda, rocked and rolled as it cut through the outskirts of Hermine Sunday.

One passenger, New Jersey resident Derek Beidermann, said in a video tweet from his brother-in-law Robert McHugh that beginning early morning Sunday, the ship started "swaying a bit" in the rough weather.

Beidermann estimated the winds measured "something like 90 knots" (103 mph) and ocean swells "got up to 40 or 50 feet at one point."

In the ship's restaurants, dishes were "going all over the place," Beidermann said.

Many passengers were feeling sick from the rough weather. "Half the ship is in the room right now over the toilet," Beidermann said.

McHugh reported Monday that seas were "much better this morning."

Anthem of the Seas is no stranger to rough waters. Last February at least four people were hurt when the ship hit hurricane-force winds off North Carolina, prompting the crew to turn the vessel around and return to port in New Jersey.

Warnings from Fire Island to Nantucket

Stretches of the northeast coastline specifically under the tropical storm warning Monday included Long Island from Fire Island Inlet to Port Jefferson Harbor and from New Haven, Connecticut, to Sagamore Beach, Block Island and Massachusetts, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

Officials warned about dangerous rip currents and high surf, which are possible through mid-week. There won't be much rainfall Monday and Tuesday -- totals will range from half an inch to 1.5 inches.

Hermine is expected to slowly meander off the mid-Atlantic coast for the next couple of days.

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