VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — While Hurricane Erin is forecast to remain well offshore, its presence is already being felt at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

Choppy waters and strong rip currents are drawing surfers to the shore, even as emergency managers urge residents and visitors to stay weather aware.

“When you have a Category 4, Category 5 storm off the coast that’s not gonna hit, that’s a dream for a surfer,” one surfer said. “We’re just not gonna get some waves in the wave garden…but in the ocean too.”

Surfers were out in force Monday ahead of the Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships, set to return this weekend.

But with Erin stirring in the Atlantic, city officials are stressing safety.

“We’re still absolutely monitoring. We’re doing enhanced monitoring right now as a city to

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