Tropical storm warnings issued as Hurricane Jose heads north

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Forecasters monitoring track of Hurricane Jose

Storm could make landfall along the northeast coast of the U.S.

Hurricane Jose continued to head up the U.S. East Coast, causing dangerous surf and rip currents as Tropical Storm Warnings were issued Monday for parts of southern New England.

Jose was centered about 265 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and was moving north at 9 mph with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 a.m. advisory.

The storm is not expected to make landfall, but a Tropical Storm Warning was issued from Watch Hill, R.I., to Hull, Mass., including for Block Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. A Tropical Storm Watch has been posted elsewhere along the coast from Delaware to Rhode Island.

The storm is expected to bring high surf and heavy rain to the East Coast.

"These swells are likely to cause dangerous surf and rip current conditions for the next several days in these areas," the NHC said.

The ocean washed over parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks as Jose passed well to the east, and five people were knocked off a coastal jetty in Rhode Island by high surf caused by the storm.

Capt. Nelson Upright of the Narragansett Fire Department told WPRI-TV the group swept off the rocks suffered injuries ranging from minor to “pretty major.”

Firefighters had to get into waist-deep water to get the victims ashore to be loaded into stretchers for transport, but no firefighters or police were injured despite the rough surf.

“It’s not worth losing your life over trying to catch a fish or go look at the waves,” Upright told WPRI.

Further north in Massachusetts, officials are warning residents to begin securing property, make sure generators are working, and check if cars are gassed up and boats are either removed from the water or securely anchored.

Scituate Fire Chief John Murphy told Boston 25 News the town is also listing hotels online, if residents feel the need to evacuate. A town official told Boston 24 News the high school would also be used as an emergency shelter, if needed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.