What’s In The Water? New York Beaches Closed Over Threat

Just before July 4th, beaches across the Hudson Valley and New York State are shutting down. Health officials say the reason could be dangerous.

Just in time for the long holiday weekend, many beaches in the Hudson Valley and New York State are closed due to dangerous bacteria in the water.

Beaches In New York State Closed Due To Dangerous Bacteria In Water

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It looks like the Hudson Valley and parts of New York will see it's first rain-free weekend in months (fingers crossed). The timing couldn't be better, with many Americans ready to celebrate America's independence.

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Those who aren't boycotting or protesting on July 4th this year.

With the long holiday weekend and warm weather, many will be planning to beat the heat. But, many beaches across the country are closed because of bacteria.

Several Beaches On Long Island Closed

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The US Mirror reports the following beaches in New York are closed

Benjamin Beach in Bay Shore,
Ronkonkoma Beach in Islip,
Sayville Marina Park Beach in Sayville
Morgan Beach in Glen Cove,
Biltmore Beach Club in Massapequa

In nearby Massachusetts, 19 beaches are closed due to “bacterial overgrowth.”

ABC News reports that public health officials in New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Illinois, Michigan and California fear that the high bacteria levels are creating unsafe swimming conditions.

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One unsafe bacterium is Vibrio, which can cause many symptoms including diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, and life-threatening infections.

Several Westchester County Beaches Closed

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On Wednesday, the Westchester County Health Department closed the following beaches due to excessive rain.

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Mamaroneck: Harbor Island, Beach Point Club, Orienta Beach Club, & Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club
Rye: Coveleigh Club
New Rochelle: Hudson Park Beach, Davenport Club, Greentree Club, & Surf Club

It's believed that recent heavy rainfall caused contamination in the water due to road runoff into some drainage outfalls near those areas.

"Beach patrons are advised to avoid the water at these beaches today due to bacterial contamination from road runoff into drainage outfalls near these beaches," health officials stated.

These Westchester beaches may reopen very soon. The beaches will only reopen if bacteria levels meet health code standards, officials say.

Harmful Algae Bloom Closes Other Hudson Valley Beaches

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Other beaches remain closed due to "Harmful Algae Bloom in the swim areas."

The Mohegan Colony Association and Mohegan Beach Park District, both in Mohegan Lake, New York, have been closed since June 20 because of the "Harmful Algae Bloom."

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The information is according to the Surfrider Foundation.

LOOK: See America's 50 Best Beach Towns

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

Gallery Credit: Keri Wiginton