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NOUS42 KMHX 061154
PNSMHX
NCZ029-044>047-079>081-090>095-098-103-104-061600-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
754 AM EDT THU JUN 6 2013

...NORTH CAROLINA RIP CURRENT AWARENESS WEEK FOR 2013...

THE WEEK OF JUNE 2ND THROUGH JUNE 8TH HAS BEEN DECLARED RIP
CURRENT AWARENESS WEEK. THIS IS THE FIFTH OF FIVE INFORMATION
MESSAGES INFORMING YOU OF THE HAZARDS IN THE SURF ZONE. TODAY WE
WILL DISCUSS THE DANGERS OF STRONG LONGSHORE CURRENTS AND STRONG
OFFSHORE WINDS.

A LONGSHORE CURRENT IS AN OCEAN CURRENT THAT MOVES PARALLEL TO
SHORE.IT IS CAUSED BY SWELLS SWEEPING INTO THE SHORELINE AT AN
ANGLE AND PUSHING WATER DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE BEACH IN ONE
DIRECTION. THEY VARY DEPENDING ON THE SIZE...STRENGTH...AND
DIRECTION OF THE APPROACHING SWELL...AND LENGTH OF THE BEACH.

LONGSHORE CURRENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY RESCUES ALONG THE
COAST BECAUSE THEY SWEEP SWIMMERS AND SURFERS DOWN THE BEACH INTO
A VARIETY OF HAZARDS. THEY ARE DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY SWEEP
SWIMMERS INTO RIP CURRENTS...PIERS AND JETTIES...AMONGST OTHER
HAZARDOUS AREAS. IN MANY CASES...THE LONGSHORE CURRENT IS STRONG
ENOUGH TO PREVENT SWIMMERS FROM BEING ABLE TO KEEP THEIR FEET ON
THE BOTTOM...MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO RETURN TO SHORE. ALWAYS CHECK
WITH A LIFEGUARD ON DUTY BEFORE YOU ENTER THE OCEAN TO CONSIDER
THE STRENGTH OF CURRENTS AND THE POSSIBLE HAZARDS YOU MAY BE SWEPT
INTO.

ANOTHER HAZARD THAT MANY DO NOT REALIZE IS DANGEROUS...THOUGH HAS
GAINED ATTENTION...IS STRONG OFFSHORE BLOWING WINDS. THESE STRONG
WINDS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO PUSH PEOPLE AND OBJECTS OUT INTO THE OPEN
OCEAN. THEY ARE ESPECIALLY A DANGER TO PEOPLE ON FLOATING OBJECTS
SUCH AS INNER TUBES AND INFLATABLE KAYAKS. YOU SHOULD EXERCISE
CAUTION AND KEEP FLOATS CLOSE TO SHORE AT ALL TIMES WHEN STRONG
OFFSHORE WINDS ARE OCCURING. IF A FLOAT GETS BLOWN AWAY FROM
SHORE...DO NOT TRY AND RETRIEVE IT.

$$