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 TUE JUN 5 2007

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

A RIP CURRENT IS A NARROW CHANNEL OR RIVER OF WATER MOVING AWAY FROM 
THE SHORE AT A FAST SPEED...PERHAPS AS MUCH AS 5 OR 6 MPH. THEY 
TYPICALLY EXTEND FROM NEAR THE SHORELINE...THROUGH 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 CAN RANGE FROM AS NARROW AS 10 TO 20 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. 

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

ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE LOCAL TERMS FOR RIP CURRENTS IN DIFFERENT 
AREAS OF THE COUNTRY...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PARTNERSHIP 
WITH SEA GRANT AND THE UNITED STATES LIFESAVING ASSOCIATION ARE 
WORKING TOGETHER TO MAINTAIN THE USE OF CONSISTENT TERMINOLOGY. THIS 
PROVIDES A CLEAR AND CONCISE RIP CURRENT SAFETY MESSAGE TO THE 
PUBLIC. THUS WE WILL ONLY USE THE TERM RIP CURRENT WHEN DESCRIBING 
THESE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS BEACH HAZARDS.

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.

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

$$