The eastern U.S. is at risk from Hurricane Lee’s rip currents, which pose a threat to the region.
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While Hurricane Lee is currently raging in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the United States and could potentially impact New England or Canada over the next weekend, there is a threat of rip currents.
Despite being overlooked, they are the third most common cause of weather-related fatalities and predictions. In comparison, tornadoes and hurricanes have caused more deaths than rip currents in the last 10 years. This year has already been particularly severe with 76 fatalties reported through August.
The National Hurricane Center’s director, Mike Brennan, has issued a topmost warning to those on the East coast, cautioning that Hurricane Lee could cause dangerous surf and rip currents as it moves northward across the Atlantic.
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Despite its category 5 status and strong winds, Hurricane Lee has become smaller as it moves over cooler waters. Jase Bernhardt, a meteorologist at Hofstra University, believes that the hurricane’s powerful force will cause waves to rise and create rip currents along its coastal beaches.
The shoreline experiences surges as a result of heavy surf, which then causes rapid currents. Bernhardt observes that the water can accelerate and move downhill, even those caught in rocky or narrow areas, especially if there is essentially no open space for it to pass through. He likens this to the gap in an old garden hose, where the wave will be accelerated more quickly.
Rip currents are a danger to beachgoers in the Great Lakes and throughout the country, but Florida has been experiencing the worst. In June, at least 11 people lost their lives due to rip current activity in Panama City Beach and other areas on the panhandle.
In his obituaries, the father mentioned that he had saved his sons from Rip Current.
The director of beach safety in Panama City Beach, Daryl Paul, notes that rip currents on his beach vary depending upon various factors such as the direction of surf waves, tides, and other factors. He claims that these current are caused by constant wind that travels over 600 miles of open water in the Gulf.
According to Paul, his lifeguards have rescued over 200 individuals from rough waters this summer. He has even been seen swimming in the water with a double red flag.
According to experts, the lack of knowledge about rip currents and their potential dangers makes them unappealing. Paul points out that people’s biggest concern is sharks, but not just one-time shark killer. “I find myself having to constantly say, ‘No, Sharks!'”
Paul suggests that if you’re caught in a rough current, it’s best to swim parallel to the shore instead of diving under. “If all you have to do is float on your back and hold on, then just wave and let the current take you.”
Rip current predictions for coastal communities are now being issued by the National Weather Service. Experts maintain that deaths caused by rip current events are almost entirely preventable, unlike hurricanes, tornadoes and other weather phenomena.