Cooler temperatures this week will feel more like late September than late August in New Jersey, forecasters say.

Lavallette, NJ – A beach outing nearly turned tragic last week when a group of 20 children were swept into a rip current following the sudden collapse of a sandbar, prompting a dramatic rescue by more than a dozen lifeguards along the Jersey Shore.

Beaches remain closed to swimming on Friday as strong rip currents from Hurricane Erin continue to create dangerous conditions. Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for New Jersey on Thursday afternoon as Hurricane Erin battered coastal communities with strong winds and waves that flooded streets and eroded beaches.

NYC's Office of Emergency Management issued a warning for life-threatening rip currents through 8 p.m. Sunday.

A visitor from South Carolina died after being caught in a rip current over the weekend, police said. Ishmoile Mohammed, 59, was swimming at Sailors Haven Saturday around 2:45 p.m. when he was caught in a rip current pulling him west,

Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency in New Jersey as Hurricane Erin, while staying hundreds of miles off the Jersey Shore, brings rough surf, windy conditions and the potential for widespread coastal flooding to the region.