Breaking News
Continued Risk of Riptides on Tuesday
Issued by The National Weather Service
Wakefield, VA
1:54 am EDT, Tue., Jul. 21, 2009
… MODERATE RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING…
A PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW BETWEEN 10 AND 15 MPH… ALONG WITH SOUTHEASTERLY SWELLS OF 1 TO 3 FEET WITH PERIODS RANGING BETWEEN 8 AND 13 SECONDS… WILL PROVIDE AN INCREASED RISK FOR RIP CURRENT FORMATION THROUGH THIS EVENING ALONG THE MID ATLANTIC BEACHES FROM OCEAN CITY MARYLAND SOUTH TO COROLLA NORTH CAROLINA.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS MEANS WIND AND OR WAVE CONDITIONS SUPPORT STRONGER OR MORE FREQUENT RIP CURRENTS… ESPECIALLY IN THE VICINITY OF JETTIES… PIERS AND SANDBARS. ONLY EXPERIENCED SURF SWIMMERS SHOULD ENTER THE WATER. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS WITH OUTGOING TIDES WHICH IMPROVE RIP CURRENT FORMATION. ALL BEACH GOERS SHOULD REMAIN AWARE OF INHERENT DANGERS WHEN ENTERING THE SURF INCLUDING SWIFT LONGSHORE CURRENTS… POUNDING SHORE BREAK AND SHALLOW SAND BARS.
RIP CURRENTS ARE STRONG… NARROW CHANNELS OF WATER THAT FLOW OUT TO SEA. IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT… REMAIN CALM. TRY TO SWIM ON A COURSE THAT IS PARALLEL TO THE BEACH UNTIL YOU GET AWAY FROM THE RIP… THEN SWIM AT AN ANGLE IN TO SHORE. DO NOT TRY TO SWIM BACK TO SHORE DIRECTLY AGAINST THE RIP… SINCE IT CAN EXHAUST AND EVEN KILL THE STRONGEST SWIMMER.
PAY ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND SIGNS POSTED NEAR BEACH ACCESS POINTS AND LIFEGUARD STATIONS. PLEASE BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS AFTER LIFEGUARD HOURS… ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.
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Please use the correct term in headlines: rip currents. These dangers in the surf zone are NOT limited to tidal timing. While the word riptide may be shorter, it is not correct. Beachgoers should not be lead to think that they are safe if they avoid times of high or low tide. For more information, including tips for avoiding rip currents, go online to ripcurrents.noaa.gov.