Weather forecasters are warning residents in Florida of large, 8 to 12 foot waves rolling through the area from Tuesday, April 7, to Thursday, April 9, and they’re telling people to stay away from the beaches. So, water can be a beautiful thing, except when that water gets creates dangerous currents and waves.
Strong, onshore winds are expected to bring hazardous conditions to parts of the Sunshine State. While it’s not a hurricane, it’s getting to that time of year. According to the experts at the National Hurricane Center, the annual hurricane season in the Atlantic starts June 1 and ends November 30, while the Eastern Pacific hurricane season kicks off May 15 and also ends November 30.
Residents Bracing for 8 to 12 Foot Winds in Coastal Areas, Making for Dangerous Weather Conditions
A report from Click on Orlando warns that residents in Florida should be on alert. From Tuesday, April 7, through Thursday, April 9, “large waves building between 8 and 12 feet are expected along Central Florida’s Atlantic coastline,” the report states. “This will lead to rough surf, beach erosion around high tide, and numerous life-threatening rip currents.”
Rip currents, according to research from the NOAA, are “powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that are prevalent along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes.” They add that “moving at speeds of up to eight feet per second, rip currents can move faster than an Olympic swimmer.”…