MD's Eastern Shore Could See Dangerous Rip Currents This Week

If you're planning a family trip to one of Maryland's beaches this week, forecasters are warning you to stay out of the water.

The National Weather Service on Tuesday released an alert warning of dangerous beach conditions for Maryland's Eastern Shore. According to forecasters, breaking waves of 3 to 4 feet will result in rough surf conditions and a high risk of rip currents.

The high-risk area extends south to Accomack and Northampton counties in Virginia, and eastern Currituck County in North Carolina.

Forecasters said beach conditions are deteriorating due to Tropical Storm Dexter, which formed over the weekend a few hundred miles off the Carolina coast. The storm has prompted rip current advisories along most of the East Coast.

In high-risk areas, the National Hurricane Center says, "Life-threatening rip currents are likely. Swimming conditions are unsafe for all levels of swimmers. Stay out of the water. Always follow advice from the local beach patrol and flag warning systems."

In an interview with WTOP, National Weather Service Forecaster Sam Wray said Dexter is churning up the sea and pushing more swells toward the coast.

“You have a lot of very quick, successive waves," Wray said. "It’s more just like a washing machine in the ocean."

How To Spot A Rip Current

According to the National Weather Service, rip currents are strong, narrow, seaward flows of water that extend from close to the shoreline to outside the surf zone. They are found on almost any beach with breaking waves and act as "rivers of the sea," moving sand, marine organisms, and other material offshore (see the above picture.)

While officials say the best way to avoid getting caught in a rip current is always to swim near a lifeguard, a lifeguard may not always be available. The key to safety is understanding what a rip current is and how to spot one.The following list provides tips on how to best spot rip currents:

• Spotting rip currents from an elevated position overlooking the beach is much easier. This might be from a parking lot, beach access, sand dune or headland.
• Channelized rip currents are the easiest to identify as they typically appear as darker, narrow gaps of water heading offshore between areas of breaking waves and whitewater. They can appear as darker paths heading out through the surf, so look for gaps in the lines of breaking waves.
• Look for narrow regions of choppy, rippled water heading offshore. Waves moving toward shore may steepen due to opposing offshore rip current flows, leading to a different surface water texture.
• Look for plumes of sand or foam offshore of the breakers, often moved away from shore by rip currents.
• Some types of rips, such as flash rips, can appear as narrow sections of turbulent whitewater heading offshore.
• Wear polarized sunglasses to help identify contrasting colors in the water — deep rip current channels stand out as darker water.
• Ask a lifeguard if there are any rip currents and to point them out for you.

Check out this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration video on spotting a channelized rip current. See more photos of examples of rip currents.

How To Escape A Rip Current

Here's what National Weather Service officials say swimmers should do if they find themselves caught in a rip current:

• Relax. Rip currents don't pull you under.
• Do not try to swim against a rip current — it will only use up your energy, which you need to survive and escape the rip current.
• Do not try to swim directly toward the shore. Swim along the shoreline until you escape the current's pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.
• If you can't reach shore, relax, face the shore, and call or wave for help.
• If possible, only swim at beaches with lifeguards.
• If you choose to swim on beaches without a lifeguard, never swim alone. Take a friend and have that person take a cell phone so that person can call 911 for help.

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