Flooding threat from Hermine minor

Tropical Storm Hermine is packing near hurricane-force winds but is so far off the coast, the nearshore impacts are expected to be minor even in low-lying areas, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service at Mt. Holly, New Jersey.

Rip currents and beach erosion will still be an issue along the Delaware coast at least through Tuesday and possibly into Wednesday but forecasters say the risk of flooding will be minor and there should be no flooding along the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Delaware and New Jersey coasts and Delaware Bay.

Hermine has stalled now and is creeping north at 3 miles per hour. As of Monday morning, the storm was 295 miles southeast of the tip of Long Island. Forecasters believe the storm will drift off the Mid-Atlantic today and bring minor tidal flooding to low areas with high tides tonight and Tuesday morning. Winds could also increase this afternoon to 15 to 25 miles per hour with gusts to 35 along the coast.

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High pressure will move east from the Appalachian Mountains and a cold front will work to push the storm further out to sea, said Jim Bunker, observing program leader at the National Weather Service forecast office in Mt. Holly.

"The surf's still going to be pretty rough," he said.

The wave heights will be 11 to 14 feet, he said.

"It's going to be pretty to watch from the beach but I wouldn't go out into the water," Bunker said.

The beaches and coastline may still be affected by wave action Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Dean Iovino, but any impact after that would be limited at best. Instead, Delaware should brace for another round of hot-and-dry weather, with temperatures climbing to at least the high 80s Tuesday and above 90 Wednesday.

Reach Molly Murray at (302) 463-3334 or mmurray@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @MollyMurraytnj.