PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
534 PM EST MON MAR 8 2010

...THE SEASONAL BEACH AND RIP CURRENT FORECAST WILL START AGAIN ON
APRIL 1...

YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON WILL BEGIN ISSUING A
SURF ZONE OR BEACH FORECAST...WHICH INCLUDES THE RIP CURRENT
FORECAST STARTING ON APRIL 1. THE FORECAST WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
AT LEAST THE END OF OCTOBER.

FORECASTS WILL BE ISSUED AT A MINIMUM OF TWICE A DAY...ONCE AROUND
4 AM AND AGAIN BY SUNSET IN THE EVENING. HOWEVER...UPDATES WILL BE
ISSUED IF THEY BECOME NECESSARY.

THE EARLY MORNING ISSUANCE WILL BE A FORECAST FOR TODAY AND THE
NEXT DAY...WHILE THE EVENING ISSUANCE WILL BE FOR TOMORROW AND THE
DAY AFTER.

EACH FORECAST WILL CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION...SKY
CONDITION...HIGH TEMPERATURE...WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED...SEA
WATER TEMPERATURE AND THE ULTRAVIOLET INDEX.

WHEN NECESSARY...THE FORECAST WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE PROBABILITY OF
PRECIPITATION.

THE RIP CURRENT OUTLOOK WILL BE INCLUDED IN EACH FORECAST THAT IS
ISSUED...UTILIZING THE THREE TIERED QUALIFIER SYSTEM. THE THREE
RISK LEVELS ARE LOW...MODERATE AND HIGH. THE RIP CURRENT INFORMATION
IS THEN COMMUNICATED TO LIFEGUARDS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS...THE
PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA.

A LOW RISK MEANS THAT WIND AND OR WAVE CONDITIONS DO NOT SUPPORT THE
DEVELOPMENT OF RIP CURRENTS. HOWEVER...RIP CURRENTS CAN STILL
OCCUR...ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE SANDBAR AND IN
THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS...JETTIES AND PIERS.

A MODERATE RISK INDICATES THAT CONDITIONS SUPPORT STRONGER OR MORE
FREQUENT RIP CURRENTS. ONLY EXPERIENCED SURF SWIMMERS SHOULD ENTER
THE WATERS...EVEN AT BEACHES THAT HAVE LIFEGUARDS.

A HIGH RISK INDICATES THAT CONDITIONS SUPPORT DANGEROUS RIP
CURRENTS...WHICH CAN BE LIFE THREATENING TO ANYONE ENTERING THE
SURF. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT NO ONE ENTER THE SURF
DURING A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.

FOR ANY AND ALL RISK LEVELS...YOU ARE URGED TO HEED THE ADVICE OF
LIFEGUARDS OR THE BEACH PATROL. PAY ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED
SIGNS.

DEPENDING UPON THE RISK LEVEL...ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON RIP CURRENTS
CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...THE SOUTHEAST
SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA ZONE FORECAST...THE AREA
FORECAST DISCUSSION AND IN THE COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE.

TO OBTAIN THE BEACH FORECAST AND THE RIP CURRENT OUTLOOK...YOU CAN
GO TO OUR WEB SITE AT...WWW.WEATHER.GOV/CHS. OR YOU CAN ALSO
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A RIP CURRENT SPOTTER OR HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS...GIVE US A CALL TOLL FREE AT...1-888-383-2024 AND LEAVE
A MESSAGE. THANK YOU.

FOR ADDITIONAL RIP CURRENT INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE RIP CURRENT PROGRAM AT...

WWW.RIPCURRENTS.NOAA.GOV.

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