NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) – Even beachgoers hundreds of miles from Hurricane Arthur’s path are facing the danger of rip currents. The storm is churning up big waves all along the Atlantic coast, changing the way water moves near shore. About 100 people each year in the U.S. drown because of rip currents, and about 80 percent of swimmers who must be rescued in the ocean are caught in them, according to the United States Lifesaving Association, a nonprofit lifeguard group. Here are five things to know about rip currents:
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WHAT IS A RIP CURRENT?
A rip current is a channel of water that flows out into the ocean from shore. The motion and waves of the ocean are constantly changing the sand on the bottom. Water going back out to sea takes the shortest path and sometimes all that water flows into a narrow area, like a depression between two sand bars, creating a rip current that can pull swimmers away from shore. Rip currents can by anywhere from about the length of a car to over half a football field, said Monty Reed, lifeguard coordinator for North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
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