Coastal Flood Statement
Expires 7:00 AM EST on November 10, 2009
Statement as of 5:21 am EST on November 7, 2009
Sustained east to northeast winds of around 25 mph across the
Atlantic waters will generate strong and dangerous rip currents
along the beaches of Miami-Dade... Broward... and Palm Beach
counties today. For this reason... swimming is not advised. Strong
and dangerous rip currents will continue through Monday as
easterly winds increase even further.
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A rip current is a 10 to 30 yard wide channel of water that can
pull even a strong swimmer from near or inside The Sand Bar into
deeper water. Due to the life threatening dangers that these
strong currents of water pose... swimming is not advised.
If you do go into the water... swim at guarded beaches and heed
the advice of the beach patrol. If caught in the seaward pull of
a rip current do not attempt to move directly toward shore.
Instead... move sideways across the rip current until the pull
eases.
An alternate method of escape is to let the rip current pull you
seaward 50 to 100 yards... where the force weakens... and then swim
toward the beach at an angle away from the current.
