Recent Spike In Dangerous Rip Currents Raises Concerns Along NC Coast

In the last month, there have been a string of deaths related to rip currents on the North Carolina coast. A rare occurrence from Mother Nature may have played a role in creating the dangerous conditions.

North Carolina gets a lot of wave energy within the Atlantic Basin, mainly due to tropical storms. But scientists say the recent spike in rip currents actually came from a massive storm in the Southern Hemisphere. Emergency officials say four people died over a nine- day period in June.

“Think about it as dropping a pebble in the water and you see all of these little ripples and all of the sudden you see it spreading out further and further away from the center,” says Bel Melendez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Morehead City. “There were a lot of rescues along our coastline because of that energy that was coming all the way from South Africa.”

Melendez says the waters have calmed over the past week or two, but beachgoers should check warning flags or ask lifeguards about the water conditions.

And if you're ever caught in a rip current, don't fight it. Instead, experts say stay calm, float on your back until you feel you're not getting pulled anymore, then swim parallel to the shoreline.

North Carolina is among the states with the highest number of deaths from these accidents. Between 1996 and 2016, 54 beachgoers were killed in rip currents in the state, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Most recently, a 35 year-old father died last week after trying to save his three daughters off Shackleford Banks. This marks the sixth rip current-related death in North Carolina this summer.

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