00:00When a hurricane is near the coast, most people focus on the wind and rain and storm surge impacts.
00:05However, rip currents, which can occur even if the storm is far offshore, are often an overlooked
00:10beach hazard. Hurricanes, even those far offshore, can cause dangerous rip currents due to the
00:15powerful winds and waves they generate. These strong winds push water towards the shore,
00:20causing a buildup of water along the beach. This excess water that needs to return to the ocean,
00:25and it often does so through a narrow concentrated channel called rip currents. Based on data from
00:302013 to 2023, rip currents and rough surf are the third highest cause of direct U.S. fatalities from
00:37tropical cyclones, many of which occur due to storms that are located well offshore. According to the
00:43National Weather Service, just this year, dozens of people have died from rip currents and other
00:47surf zone hazards in the U.S. over the past decade. The average annual death toll from rip currents
00:53has been 76. So what can you do to stay safe? Well, of course, continue to check in with the
00:58AccuWeather forecast, even on a blue sunny sky day. And if we're worried about surf, there'll be a tag
01:04in there that says watch for unusually rough surf and rip currents. Then you also want to set up near
01:09a lifeguard stand. According to the United States Life Saving Association, the likelihood of drowning at
01:14a beach under USLA lifeguard protection is one in 18 million. And then look for those warning flags,
01:21which indicate the safety of the water that day. If you do end up going into the water and getting
01:26caught in a rip current, you want to flip, float and follow. Excellent advice from the Great Lakes
01:31Surf Rescue Project. Flip over to your back, keep your head above water, stay calm and conserve your
01:36energy. And don't fight the current. You want to swim perpendicular to the flow. And if you're too
01:41tired, just continue to float until someone can come out and rescue. Stay safe this week for beachgoers.
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