Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Taunton MA
428 PM EDT Mon Sep 25 2017
…High Surf Advisory now in effect until 6 PM EDT Thursday…
* location…along ocean exposed beaches on the south coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
* timing…through Thursday.
* surf and rip current risk…long period southerly swells from distant Hurricane Maria will continue to increase as they push across the south coastal waters through Wednesday. This will result in high surf along the ocean exposed coastline and a high risk of dangerous rip currents.
* shoreline impacts..areas of beach erosion.
Precautionary/preparedness actions…
A rip current…sometimes mistakenly called an undertow…is a strong but narrow current of water flowing from the beach to the surf zone. It can rapidly carry a swimmer into deeper water…and exhaust an individual trying to swim against it.
In addition…viewers of large surf should stay in safe areas well away from possible splashover. Individual waves may be more than twice the average wave height…which can sweep a person into the water from what may seem to be a safe viewing area. Falling into turbulent and sometimes rocky waters can result in injury that reduces the chance of survival.
