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New Jersey, Delaware Shore Towns Brace For Hermine

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Hermine is no longer a Hurricane, but the National Weather Service says there is a chance the storm picks up strength over the warm waters of the Atlantic.

Serious storm surge and winds, possibly around 65 miles per hour, may batter the New Jersey and Delaware coasts. So far, there have been voluntary evacuations in Stone Harbor and Brigantine. And some beachgoers, who were supposed to have a relaxing Labor Day weekend, are thinking about plan B. Others, however, have embraced the idea of riding out the storm at the shore, despite all the warnings.

"I'm looking forward to staying and having a nice vacation," said Robin Montgomery in Avalon. "It's my first time down the shore this year."

Rain is expected to stay offshore as the storm track moves east, but coastal flooding is still a major concern.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie issued a State of Emergency for Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties. Despite a change in the forecast, officials say the declaration is very critical.

"It opens up the ability for us to move assets around the state," said New Jersey's Office of Emergency Management spokeswoman Laura Connolly. "It also opens up the ability for us to work with our federal counterparts."

And that means access to federal resources, if needed.

In Delaware, Governor Jack Markell issued a limited State of Emergency for Sussex County, which includes Rehoboth Beach.

Officials are not taking any chances. Hermine has not only been damaging, but deadly. Two people have been killed on the East Coast because of the storm, which has damaged properties and left hundreds of thousands without electricity from Florida to Virginia.

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