NOUS42 KCHS 031057
PNSCHS
GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-031800-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EDT SAT JUN 9 2007

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF RIP CURRENT AWARENESS WEEK. TODAYS TOPIC IS 
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RIP CURRENTS.

THERE ARE FOUR TYPES OF RIP CURRENTS THAT ARE COMMON ALONG THE 
BEACHES OF SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. THESE 
ARE...PERMANENT RIP CURRENTS...FIXED RIP CURRENTS...FLASH RIP 
CURRENTS AND TRAVELING RIP CURRENTS.

PERMANENT RIP CURRENTS MOVE LITTLE OR ARE NEARLY STATIONARY. THEY 
ARE CAUSED BY STRUCTURES SUCH AS JETTIES...PIERS...DRAINAGE 
OUTFLOWS...GROINS AND ROCK PILES. THESE TYPES OF RIP CURRENTS CAN 
PERSIST FOR MONTHS OR EVEN YEARS. THEY ARE OFTEN FOUND NEAR THE 
PIERS OF FOLLY BEACH AND ISLE OF PALMS.

FIXED RIP CURRENTS WILL USUALLY OCCUR WHERE THERE ARE NO NATURAL OR 
MAN MADE STRUCTURES. INSTEAD THESE WILL FORM IN AN AREA OF WATER 
THAT IS DEEPER THAT THE SURROUNDING WATER. THEY ARE USUALLY FOUND IN 
THE SAME LOCATION...BUT ARE STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY WAVE ACTION...THE 
SHAPE OF THE COASTLINE AND THE SHAPE OF THE SANDBAR. MOST TIMES THEY 
WILL FORM IN AN AREA OF WATER OR CUSP BETWEEN TWO HIGHER POINTS ON 
THE BEACH. THESE TYPES MAY LAST FOR SEVERAL HOURS TO SEVERAL MONTHS.

FLASH RIP CURRENTS ARE USUALLY OF SHORT DURATION...LASTING NO MORE 
THAN 10 OR 15 MINUTES. THEY CAN SOMETIMES APPEAR SUDDENLY...HENCE 
THEIR NAME...FLASH RIP CURRENTS. THEY WILL OCCUR IN CONDITIONS OF 
HEAVY SURF WHEN LARGE SWELLS INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF WAVE ENERGY AND 
WAVE VOLUME DISPERSED ON THE BEACH. WE CONTINUE GETTING BETTER AT 
FORECASTING THESE TYPES OF RIP CURRENTS...BUT THEY REMAIN VERY 
DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY ARE ONLY TEMPORARY AND THEY CAN OCCUR OVER A 
LARGE AND VARYING AREA.

TRAVELING RIP CURRENTS OCCUR WHENEVER THERE IS A LONG SHORE 
CURRENT...OR A CURRENT PARALLEL TO THE BEACH...THAT IS STRONG 
ENOUGH TO PULL A RIP CURRENTS AWAY FROM WHERE IT WAS ORIGINALLY 
LOCATED. THESE RIP CURRENTS WILL WEAKEN AS THEY MOVE AWAY FROM THEIR 
SOURCE AREA...BUT NEW ONES CAN FORM AS WELL...AS THEY TOO MOVE DOWN 
THE BEACH AND WEAKEN.

REMEMBER TO BE SAFE WHENEVER YOU HEAD TO THE BEACH. BE AWARE OF THE 
DANGERS OF RIP CURRENTS AND TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND THEM...SO 
THAT WAY YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS WHEN AT THE SHORE.

IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON RIP CURRENTS...PLEASE CALL THE 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN CHARLESTON AT 843-744-0303.

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