Rip currents likely at North Carolina beaches as tropical storm Ana brings swells
North Carolina beachgoers are advised to stay out of the water this weekend as dangerous rip currents are likely.
Tropical storm Ana — which is not expected to have any impact on land — is bringing strong easterly swells and a high risk of rip currents along nearly the entire North Carolina coast, the National Weather Service’s Newport/Morehead office tweeted Saturday.
“If you’re planning to hit the beach to beat the heat, watch out there is a HIGH risk for rip currents all day,” the NWS tweeted Sunday. “Swimming at the beach is strongly discouraged!”
A high risk of rip currents indicates that life-threatening rip currents are likely and that the surf zone is dangerous for “all levels of swimmers,” the NWS says.
“Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water,” the NWS in Wilmington said.
In southeastern North Carolina, a high risk of rip currents will remain through Sunday evening and a moderate risk is possible Monday and Tuesday, the Wilmington office says.
The high risk will also remain in other parts of eastern North Carolina through Sunday evening, and an “enhanced threat for rip currents” will last into Monday, the NWS’s Newport/Morehead office says.
“The most likely time for strong rip currents to occur is a couple hours either side of low tide, which will occur around 11:15 a.m. Sunday,” the Morehead office says. “However, strong rip currents are expected throughout the day.”
If caught in a rip current, the NWS says to “remain calm” and not to “fight the current.”
“Swim in a direction following the shoreline,” it says. “When out of the current, swim back to shore. If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.”
Rip currents will not pull swimmers under the water, just away from the shore, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. But trying to swim against them “will just tire you out.”
Tropical storm Ana is located about 435 miles off the coast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph as of Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center says. It’s expected to weaken to a post-tropical storm by Sunday evening and to dissipate by Monday.
It’s not expected to have any direct impacts on North Carolina.
Ana formed before the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season on June 1, and the NWS says it’s the “7th year in a row with a pre-season Atlantic storm.”
