Rip currents, sea lice, stingrays and sharks: A Labor Day farewell to NC’s weird summer

They say a bad day at the beach is still better than a good day at the office. That holds true even in a summer when a lot of bad — or at least weird — stuff seemed to plague the North Carolina coast.

On the bright side, we’ve had no hurricanes (so far, fingers crossed). But we did have rip currents, which were the big coastal villains of the summer.

Rough ocean tides meant red flags flew many days, keeping swimmers out of the water they craved. But while it seemed like rip currents were out of control this year (Emerald Isle even threatened to fine swimmers who went into the water when red flags were displayed), that may not be the case.

Reid Hawkins, science officer at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, told The News & Observer on Friday that it’s been a fairly typical summer. “I don’t think the numbers are abnormal,” he said. “I think we’re just hearing about it more. It’s the social media and stuff like that. We’re more aware of it.”

But that awareness is a good thing, he added.

“We have a lot of vacationers who aren’t familiar with the beaches and don’t know how to recognize (rip currents) and how to get out of them.” (Here’s what you need to know about rip currents and how to get out of them.)

This is also the summer most of us heard the term “sea lice” for the first time. Throw in the usual gang of sharks, stingrays, jellyfish and more, and 2018 has been a summer to remember for NC beaches. Or maybe, one to forget

Red flag conditions

Rip currents kill more people each year in the Carolinas than any other weather phenomenon, and we sure heard a lot about them this summer. In June, 10 people were rescued in rip current-related incidents in a span of two hours in Wrightsville Beach. In mid-July, four people died in a span of three days on North Carolina beaches, two of them while trying to save others.

On Aug. 1, Emerald Isle announced that swimmers who went in the ocean while “red flags” were flying could be fined $100. The day before the announcement, there were at least 10 ocean rescues at Emerald Isle. On another day there, beachgoers formed a “human chain” to rescue a swimmer. That same day, another swimmer drowned.

According to the National Weather Service, 10 people have drowned in rip currents off the North Carolina coast so far this year. A recent report by The News & Observer found that a growing number of scientists believe unnaturally altered beaches — those such as Wrightsville that are routinely renourished with sand — could pose an elevated risk of injury to tourists by way of more rip currents and sandbars.

Something new to fear

Many of us never heard the term “sea lice” before this summer, but just the thought may now strike more fear into the hearts of North Carolina beachgoers than the word “shark.” The awful creatures — actually the tiny larvae of miniature jellyfish — were reported in Carolina Beach earlier this summer. These larvae are the size of a pin head and they float in the water.

Most people never even see them, but if stung, they’ll know it. The stings cause a rash that can last up to a week and occasionally, reactions can be more severe. A woman visiting Carolina Beach in July told WECT-TV station in Wilmington that her children had been stung by the sea lice, causing a rash similar to chicken pox.

Two NC shark attacks

Sharks are always a concern along the North Carolina coast, some seasons more than others. Last year, only one unprovoked shark attack was reported in the state. This year, we’ve heard of two.

On Aug. 5, a girl was rescued from the surf by her father after being bitten on her right calf by a shark at Bald Head Island. Her injuries were not severe. At Atlantic Beach on Aug. 19, a 14-year-old surfer was bitten twice on his right leg. He was stitched up and doing well after the attack.

Despite our fear of sharks (thanks, “Jaws”), the odds that you’ll ever be bitten by one are incredibly low.

Jellyfish are always a pain

Jellyfish are a painful nuisance, but reports this season haven’t been particularly out of proportion. Still, one scary report out of Wrightsville Beach in July involved a surfer stung by a box jellyfish, also known as a sea wasp — the most dangerous species of jellyfish. The surfer told WWAY TV station that he couldn’t breathe after the sea wasp wrapped itself around his chest.

Stingrays were active in North Topsail

There are about 10 species of stingrays hanging out in North Carolina waters, and they got particularly worked up along North Topsail beach in August. The beach reported 40 calls about stingray injuries over the course of a single month.

Stingrays are in the water year-round, UNC’s Joel Fodrie told The News & Observer in August. But during peak tourist season, there can be a spike in injuries.

OBX water got yukky

Heavy rains flooded streets in Kitty Hawk in July, prompting officials to pump contaminated water from the streets into the Atlantic Ocean. This resulted in elevated levels of a harmful bacteria in the water and a “no swim” advisory for several days at Dare County beaches on the Outer Banks.

Be mindful of sandbars

WRAL anchor Jeff Hogan was seriously injured in a “freak accident” while bodysurfing at Wrightsville Beach in July. Hogan caught a wave that slammed him face-first into a sandbar. He was immediately paralyzed and floating face-down in the surf when his daughters rescued him.

Hogan has made a nearly full recovery from his injuries, but the presence of sandbars near the shoreline of local beaches can be dangerous. (We’ll remind you here about that report by The News & Observer in which some scientists believe unnaturally altered beaches could pose an elevated risk of injury to the tourists by way of more rip currents and sandbars. )

A cliff appears at Nags Head

A 10-foot cliff appeared seemingly out of nowhere at the Gray Eagle Beach area of Nags Head in July, causing the beach to be closed for a few days until the cliff could be leveled.

The cliff, or escarpment, is believed to have been created by a phenomenon known as “perigean spring tides,” also called “king tides,” according to NOAA. NOAA says beach erosion of this type is expected to become more common because of the rising sea level.

A hard summer for the ponies

Three wild ponies died along the Outer Banks this summer. There are usually three or four wild horse deaths a year, according to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, but they don’t usually come this close together.

One mare was struck and killed by a four-wheel-drive vehicle while she roamed the dunes in early June (her mate stood guard over her as she died). Then a 20-plus-year-old stallion named Trooper had to be euthanized in June after a kick from another wild horse caused his lung to collapse. The third pony was euthanized because of critical health problems.

The horses have also faced threats this summer stemming from being fed junk food by tourists. (Don’t do that! The horses can only eat the wild beach grasses of the coast. Any other diet could kill them.)

On a bright note, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund announced the birth of a filly in late August — the fifth birth to the herd this year (four have survived).

A ‘doomed coast’ prediction

The largest danger along the coast is one that is happening slowly but surely, a Triangle educator says.

Duke University professor Orrin Pilkey said this summer that rising sea level means North Carolina beaches (and buildings) are “doomed.” Pilkey says rising sea levels will likely prove the first global calamity from climate change, and that residents need to “plan now for retreat.”

Pilkey pointed out that there is no question among scientists that the sea level is indeed rising.

This story was originally published August 31, 2018 at 2:19 PM.