People in 3 States Told Not To Go in Ocean Because of Deadly Currents

Dangerous currents are posing beach hazards in three states on Thursday, according to National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists.
Meteorologists in California, North Carolina and Florida issued advisories early Thursday morning warning beachgoers that entering the ocean could pose risks because of longshore currents and rip currents. The advisories, which included a beach hazards statement and a rip current statement, were expected to remain in place through Friday evening in some places.
Meteorologists in each state advised people to remain out of the water until the danger passes.
“Caution should be used when in or near the water,” a coastal hazard message from the NWS office in Wilmington, North Carolina, said.
“Entering the surf is strongly discouraged,” the NWS office in Melbourne, Florida, said.
NWS meteorologist Bob Bright told Newsweek that longshore currents were causing the dangerous conditions at some of North Carolina’s beaches. Whereas rip currents are perpendicular to the shore, Bright said longshore currents are parallel to the shore. They are driven by strong winds in the area.
“We have a pretty good north flow pushing water down the coast,” he said.
Newsweek reached out to NWS offices in California and Florida by phone for comment.
In California, the NWS Los Angeles office warned of waves up to 10 feet in addition to rip currents for San Luis Obispo County beaches and Santa Barbara County Central Coast beaches.
“There is an increased risk of ocean drowning. Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Waves can wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats nearshore,” the NWS office in Los Angeles warned. “Remain out of the water due to hazardous swimming conditions, or stay near occupied lifeguard towers. Rock jetties can be deadly in such conditions, stay off the rocks.”
If a swimmer is caught in a rip current, there are actions they can take to help.
“If caught in a rip current, remain calm,” one North Carolina warning said. “Swim in a direction following the shoreline. 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.”
Dangerous currents also were in place in Texas and Alabama, although those warnings did not advise swimmers against going into the water. The Alabama rip current statement will remain in place through late Sunday night. The Texas advisory is in place through Thursday night.
“Rip currents have been the number one weather-related killer in east-central Florida and along the Eastern Seaboard,” NWS Warning Coordination meteorologist Will Ulrich previously told Newsweek.