Sachuest Wildlife Refuge Closed through Saturday Due to High Surf

Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge will close Thursday through Saturday, out of concern for "dangerous surf conditions" to arrive as a result of Hurricane Earl's projected path through Rhode Island beginning Friday.

Janis Nepshinsky, spokesperson for the refuge, noted that after people lost their lives after being swept from rocks near Narragansett Beach last week, the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex had ordered Sachuest Point closed as a precaution as Hurricane Earl heads this way, regardless if it gets downgraded to a tropical storm. Sachuest Point was also closed to visitors last week when Hurricane Danielle passed about 1,000 miles off shore.

The Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge is located on a narrow peninsula that is a popular hiking, photography and fishing spot for locals and tourists alike, with numerous access points onto the peninsula's rocky shoreline.

"The rocky shoreline at Sachuest is very slick and is a particularly hazardous place to be standing or fishing from during rough surf events," said Nepshinsky in a statement. "Earl is projected to have a much closer track than Danielle, therefore we expect very hazardous surf and rip current conditions."

The National Weather Service predicts Hurricane Earl will likely reduce to tropical storm conditions by the time it reaches Middletown late Friday night around midnight, but the storm nonetheless is expected to bring heavy rain, 15-30 mph tropical winds, roadway flooding, and 7.5 to 14-foot ocean waves between Friday at 6pm and early Saturday morning.

Click here to see Hurricane Earl's current path.

Click here to see Magicseaweed.com's latest predictions for surf and maritime conditions, a favorite prediction tool among local surfers.