NWS and Sea Grant will have exhibits at the June 2 Disaster Preparedness Expo in Wilmington. The NWS office in Wakefield, Va., expects to add rip current forecasts for its region, which includes Currituck County, N.C., and the Virginia Beach area. Background information on rip currents is available on the sites. In addition, North Carolina Sea Grant offers a brochure that emphasizes the signs that rip currents may be present and appropriate responses. If you are caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore.
Rip currents can pull even experienced swimmers.
The currents are formed when water rushes out to sea in a narrow path. They may form in a break in a nearshore sandbar, or if the current is diverted by a groin or jetty. Many rip currents are temporary, while others are permanent. Most trouble spots are less than 30 feet wide. Often they occur after storms.