New Jersey’s beaches ready for holiday crowds

Officials with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection say all of the state’s ocean beaches will be open Labor Day weekend, though some river and bay beaches remain closed.

Beach towns in New Jersey were evacuated over the weekend as Hurricane Irene headed for the mid-Atlantic.

The storm pounded the Jersey Shore for hours, but days later the beaches are largely intact, says DEP spokesman Lawrence Hajna.

Still, he said, beach-goers will notice some evidence of Irene’s visit.

“The slope of the beaches will appear different and, in places, you may see sand that’s been pushed around by the waves, but that’s part of a natural process that occurs along beaches everywhere,” he said. “It’s not something that’s going to disrupt anyone’s holiday.”

Hajna says the ocean’s water quality has been tested and is safe for swimming.

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie is encouraging people to pack up and head to the Shore for the Labor Day holiday weekend.