Even without the tropical storms named on the coast, waves and swells from distant storms can create life-threatening conditions on the beach.
How to identify and avoid RIP currents
This national ocean and air management video explains how to recognize and avoid crack flow.
Provided by NOAA
If you are heading to the beach along the East Coast for the weekend of August 9th, be sure to pay attention to the most likely dangerous swimming conditions as a result of disturbed offshore weather.
Without tropical storms named directly on the coast, waves, swells and life-threatening conditions can occur from far-flung storms hundreds of miles away.
Eric Heden, a warning-adjusting meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City, North Carolina, said there were plenty of offshore or coastal areas as of August 7th, which could roughen the conditions throughout the weekend.
“Love the beach and respect the ocean,” Heden said, borrowing the phrase from Dare County, North Carolina’s Outer Bank.
On August 7th, the National Hurricane Centre was looking at the disturbed weather area off the southeast coast. Marine forecasters were still watching Dexter, the former tropical storm about 1,000 miles east of Cape Cod. And the full moon on August 9th could increase the effects of rifts and waves.
Waters from North Carolina to Long Island have moderate to high risk risks on August 7th and 8th, and could possibly be even higher over the weekend, Heden said. “Whether it’s a complete tropical cyclone, a strong low-pressure area, or a land flow, you can get RIP currents whenever a sea storm occurs.”
RIP currents are narrow and powerful water flows that form perpendicular to the beach and can flow out quickly. They are powerful enough to keep strong swimmers away from the coast. Unlike thunderstorms and lightning bolts you can see and hear, Heden said the flow of rips is not so obvious and could occur before or after a storm.
RIP flows, rough surfs and other strong currents kill dozens of people in the US and territory each year, not just on the ocean but on the beaches. As of July 17, the National Weather Service had reported 10 deaths this year in Florida, six in Puerto Rico, three in Texas, two in South Carolina and Hawaii, 25 in Guam and North Carolina, and at least 25 in Guam and North Carolina.
There have been 20 more deaths in the SURF zone so far this year. This includes seven things that are attributed to high surf and waves of sneakers.
Storms are fatal even if they don’t land. In 2019, he said, “we lost eight people from Florida through Rhode Island,” as Hurricane Lorenzo moved north from the Atlantic coast.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the parent agency of the Meteorological Agency, and others have worked to highlight the risk of rip currents and how to maintain a safer state during outdoor reenactment. For example, earlier this year, the National Hurricane Center launched a RIP current graphics explaining the dangers associated with tropical storms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7futgxm84a
Over the course of a decade, roughly 10-15% of all deaths in tropical storms and hurricanes are attributed to the RIP flow, the Hurricane Center said. Earlier this year, NOAA launched a new public safety campaign called “Blue IQ,” focusing on the dangers of surfing.
Keeps you safe against RIP current
One important thing about singles to remember about RIP currents is not to pull the swimmer down and pull you away from the beach. So, I advise Heden and many others that remembering to stay calm and swim parallel to the beach will help you escape the rift and save your life.
One new and pressing concern is the rise in deaths from bystanders trying to help people caught up in RIP currents, Heden said.
He offers the following additional points for the current safety of RIP:
- Swim on a life-supported beach.
- You can tell the operator of the 911 because you always know your location when you are on the beach.
- If anyone gets caught up in RIP current, call 911 immediately.
- Instead of chasing someone, give them directions from the coast or throw a flotation device
- Know your predictions before you get into the water
How can I find the RIP current?
Heden and The Weather Service provide the following ways to help identify RIP currents:
- More common low tide and pier or pier.
- Often, the waves aren’t broken there, so it may seem like a good place to swim.
- The water may be dark in colour, and there may be lines of debris that leave the coast.
- It is easy to find from a perspective such as access to the beach.
USA Today’s national correspondent, Dinah Voyles Pulver, writes about climate change, violent weather and other news. Contact her at dpulver @usatoday.com or @dinahvp.
