Beaches in the Tri-State area were reopened on Saturday following the passing of Hurricane Erin, but for former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
Blinken, who is 63, found himself unexpectedly removed from East Hampton’s Georgeka Beach where he was just trying to relax with a friend, as photos indicate. The beach had been closed due to the turbulent conditions caused by the storm that affected the East Coast just days earlier.
On Friday, along with some former Biden officials, Blinken was enjoying the sand when lifeguards asked them to leave. After a brief discussion, he gathered his belongings—a tote bag, beach towel, and chair—and made the walk back to the parking lot, likely feeling a bit embarrassed.
A large wave crashed in the background of that moment, as seen in the images.
Long Island’s hot spots are well-known for their appeal to surfers, particularly from the southern tip of the Apacog area.
While most beaches reopened to the public, officials noted that swimming was still restricted at several locations due to safety concerns.
Hurricane Erin had intensified to a Category 5 storm in the Caribbean, making its way up the North Atlantic and impacting the East Coast without making landfall.
This massive storm, measuring about 500 miles across, was situated approximately 800 miles from New York’s coastline.
“Although Hurricane Erin has moved on from our area, it was a significant storm thatstill affected much of the Atlantic,” said Fox meteorologist Cody Browd. “We’re safe now, but it takes time for the waters to calm down. There are lingering dangers, especially the high risk along the East Coast.”
Temperatures in New York and Long Island were expected to remain in the low ’80s, while the Jersey Shore saw readings in the late ’70s to ’80s.
“It’s starting to cool down a bit, so maybe it’s not the best beach weather anyway,” Browd added.
Several beaches along the Jersey Shore were still closed on Saturday for cleanup efforts due to the storm’s aftermath.
Blinken is a familiar face in East Hampton, having vacationed there frequently. Notably, he was in the area on August 15, 2021, just hours before the Taliban seized Kabul, Afghanistan.
His father, Donald Blinken, a former U.S. ambassador to Hungary during the Clinton administration, has resided seasonally on Lily Pond Lane for over 50 years.
