The sun has finally returned to New York City, but the heavy rain earlier in the week has left an unwelcome mark on the shore. According to ABC7, the city is now warning people to stay out of the water at about a dozen beaches because of elevated bacteria levels, a disappointing turn for beachgoers hoping to cool off.
The advisory was especially striking at Coney Island, where crowds were still in the water even as the warning was in effect. Officials say many swimmers were unaware, with no announcements on the sand and only a small sign posted on the boardwalk to flag the risk.
The numbers help explain the concern. Health officials say the average bacteria level is normally around 20 per hundred milliliters, but after the torrential rain the reading at Coney Island sat at roughly 227, more than ten times higher than usual.
An infectious disease expert at Northwell was asked to put the risk in perspective. The most common problem, the expert said, is swallowing the water and coming down with a gastrointestinal illness, whether viral or bacterial, and the water can also irritate the eyes and ears.
Coney Island was not the only spot affected. Officials said Manhattan Beach was under a swimming and wading advisory as well, along with several beaches on Staten Island, among them Midland Beach and South Beach.
Experts noted that the problem is far more common on the bay beaches than on the ocean beaches, but the sheer volume of rain that fell across the region earlier in the week pushed levels up more broadly than usual.
Officials stressed that the advisories are a precautionary measure and that it is rare for someone to actually get sick. For those who made the trip only to be turned away from the water, the city pointed to the boardwalk and other attractions as alternatives while bacteria levels settle back down.