Rip current awareness promoted

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N.C. Sea Grant wants people to be aware of rip currents this summer when they visit the beaches.

Sea Grant announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has declared this week Rip Current Awareness Week. Rip currents are strong narrow currents moving away from shore. On average, more people die every year from rip currents than from shark attacks. According to the U.S. Lifesaving Association, 80 percent of surf beach rescues are attributed to rip currents, and more than 100 people die annually from drowning in rip currents.

Sea Grant said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Sea Grant Program, the U.S. Lifesaving Association, and the National Park Service wants everyone to have a safe and enjoyable time at the beach or seashore. In an effort to heighten public awareness of rip current s at surf beaches, each year NOAA designates the first full week of June as national Rip Current Awareness Week, coinciding with the traditional start of the summer vacation season.


NOAA has created the website www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov for an overview on rip currents. The site also includes links to real life rip current stories, media and educational tools including multimedia, beach safety tips, local weather and surf forecasts, photos, games and a glossary. Also available on the site are links to download full color brochures and signs in English and Spanish on rip current safety. New features added to the site this year include a kids’ page, medical concerns and 28 widgets offering lifesaving messages and safety tips.

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