Hurricane Bill sweeps by, leaving high swells in wake

Mighty waves off Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks kept sightseers mesmerized Saturday, and by afternoon, Hurricane Bill had created more entertainment than trouble.

In Virginia Beach, Bill brought swells as large as 10 feet.

Between 55th and 58th streets, at least 100 surfers and body boarders bobbed in the waves Saturday afternoon.

The Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service closed the water to swimmers and waders because of a strong rip current.

"It's a surfer's dream, but a lifeguard's nightmare," Sgt. Jim MacKaye of the lifeguard service said.

"There's nothing like a good hurricane swell."

Anthony Spagnuolo hit the water at 6 a.m. and surfed late into the afternoon. The waves hadn't been so good since winter, he said.

"It was great, really couldn't do better."

Shortly before 4 p.m., the Lifesaving Service closed the beach because of severe thunderstorms that rolled in.

"If we had let people in the water we would've had lots of rescues today," said 1st Lt. Gary Felch of the Lifesaving Service.

With Bill about 450 miles off the Outer Banks when it went past at about 2 p.m., only the roiling seas and humid salt air gave away the fact that there was a storm offshore.

Churning seas kept swimmers out of the water most of the day, but surfers lined up early to check out the breakers.

"This is not that big," Joey Crum of Hatteras said as he surveyed the 8-foot waves by "S-turns," a popular surf spot on the north end of Rodanthe. "The swell hasn't really arrived yet."

Nearby, people watched raptly as the surf crashed under Serendipity, the house that was the setting in the movie "Nights in Rodanthe."

Kevan Danker of Ruckersville, Va., said the steps to the house had been torn off by waves the night before.

"I told them if it was going to fall down it won't be too long," he commented to the woman standing next to him.

Most surfers opted not to go out on Saturday until the Outer Banks surf cleaned up.

Ryan Langowski of Buxton spent about an hour paddling against a powerful current before he managed to catch some breakers far off the beach. A crowd that had gathered on the pier rooted him on.

During high tide at mid-morning, there was minor overwash on N.C. 12 at Mirlo Beach and several spots through Pea Island National Refuge.

A high surf advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. today for Virginia Beach, the Eastern Shore and northeast North Carolina, with a high risk of dangerous rip currents, according to the National Weather Service.

Catherine Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com

Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com