Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency on the afternoon of Aug. 21 as Hurricane Erin brings flooding, wind and rough surf to Jersey Shore.

As a Navy veteran, Tom Ellis had seen more-impressive waves on the open seas — but not on the ocean in the popular barrier island town of Ocean City that he and his wife Pat call home. Standing on the music pier Thursday morning listening to the percussive sounds of white caps stirred by Hurricane Erin crashing on pilings and storm drain pipes,

Today's weather will be cloudy, windy, and drizzly. The ocean is downright dangerous as rip current and storm surge concerns peak.

The State of Emergency went into effect at 2 p.m. as coastal and flash flooding, dangerous surf warnings and advisories, as well as high winds are expected for several counties across the Garden State.

Enjoy the shore, enjoy this beautiful weather but stay out of the water,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday.

With the off-shore Hurricane Erin churning up the ocean and bringing strong winds and big waves to New Jersey today, forecasters have issued weather alerts across the state. Earlier this week, more than a dozen Jersey Shore beaches issued swimming bans as forecasters warned of life-threatening conditions for boaters and swimmers.