NOUS42 KCHS 060906 CCA
PNSCHS
GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-070900-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EDT WED JUN 6 2009

...RIP CURRENT FACTS AND STATISTICS...

RIP CURRENT AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES WITH RIP CURRENT FACTS... 
INFORMATION AND STATISTICS.

A RIP CURRENT IS A NARROW CHANNEL OR RIVER OF WATER MOVING QUICKLY 
AWAY FROM THE SHORE...SOMETIMES AS FAST AS 5 OR 6 MPH. THEY
TYPICALLY EXTEND FROM NEAR THE SHORELINE...THROUGH A BREAK IN THE
SANDBAR IN THE SURF ZONE AND OUT PAST THE LINE OF BREAKING WAVES.

RIP CURRENTS ARE COMPRISED OF THREE COMPONENTS...THE FEEDER 
SOURCE...THE NECK AND THE HEAD. THE FEEDER SOURCE IS THE AREA WHERE 
WAVE ENERGY IS FOCUSED...AND IS THE FUEL SOURCE FOR THE RIP CURRENT. 
THE NECK IS THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE RIP CURRENT...WHERE WATER 
IS FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY FROM THE BEACH. AND THE HEAD IS WHERE THE 
EFFECTS OF THE RIP CURRENT BEGIN TO DISPERSE OR SPREAD OUT...AS THE 
SEAWARD PULL DIMINISHES.

RIP CURRENTS TYPICALLY RANGE FROM AT LEAST A FEW FEET WIDE...TO AS
LARGE AS 100 TO 200 FEET IN WIDTH. THE LENGTH OF THE RIP CURRENT
USUALLY BEGINS TO DISSIPATE BEYOND THE BREAKING WAVES...BUT CAN
SOMETIMES EXTEND HUNDREDS OF FEET BEYOND THE SURF ZONE.

IN RECENT YEARS RIP CURRENTS HAVE KILLED MORE PEOPLE THAN 
FLOODING...TORNADOES...LIGHTNING OR EVEN HURRICANES. ON AVERAGE 
ABOUT 100 PEOPLE EACH YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES MEET AN UNFORTUNATE 
DEATH DUE TO RIP CURRENTS.

RIP CURRENTS CAN BE FOUND ALMOST EVERY DAY AT MANY 
BEACHES...ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE SANDBAR. THEY 
ALSO FREQUENTLY OCCUR NEAR STRUCTURES...SUCH AS GROINS...JETTIES AND 
PIERS. 

AN IMPORTANT POINT TO ALWAYS REMEMBER ABOUT RIP CURRENTS IS THAT
THEY CAN CARRY YOU AWAY FROM SHORE...BUT THEY DO NOT PULL YOU
UNDER THE WATER.

FOR MOST BEACHGOERS IT IS DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE WHERE A RIP CURRENT 
IS PRESENT. BUT WITH PRACTICE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THEM.

LOOK FOR DIFFERENCES IN WATER COLOR OR WATER MOTION...OR A CHANGE IN 
SHAPE OF THE INCOMING WAVES. IN ADDITION...LOOK FOR CHANNELS OF 
CHURNING OR CHOPPY WATER. OFTEN YOU MAY SEE A LINE OF FOAM...SEAWEED 
OR OTHER DEBRIS MOVING OUT TO SEA. THESE ARE ALL INDICATORS OF RIP 
CURRENTS. 

ALTHOUGH THESE WILL HELP YOU IN DETERMINING IF A RIP CURRENT IS 
PRESENT...THERE MAY BE TIMES WHEN THESE CLUES WILL NOT BE 
NOTICEABLE. THEREFORE YOU SHOULD ALWAYS PROCEED WITH CAUTION IF YOU 
ARE PLANNING ON GOING IN THE WATER. KNOW HOW TO SWIM...AND HEED TO
ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY ATTENTION TO FLAGS
AND POSTED SIGNS.

ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE LOCAL TERMS FOR RIP CURRENTS IN DIFFERENT 
AREAS OF THE COUNTRY...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ONLY USE
THE TERM RIP CURRENT WHEN DESCRIBING THESE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
AND LIFE THREATENING BEACH HAZARDS. THIS PROVIDES A CLEAR AND
CONCISE SAFETY MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC. 

BE WITH US AGAIN TOMORROW AS WE BRING YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ON RIP CURRENTS.

$$