It's inevitable that a hurricane spinning hundreds of miles away in the Atlantic Ocean will bring out thrill-seeking surfers and other adventurers. The waves are more intense, the sea more frothy.
Lifeguards put up the caution flags, hoping to deter children and those who aren’t strong swimmers from entering the surf.
Last weekend, however, red flags — signaling that swimming is prohibited — were posted as rip currents from Hurricane Danielle made the ocean off Virginia Beach too dangerous for swimmers. Sadly, beachgoers continued to enter the swirling water, and lifeguards had possibly their busiest day ever Saturday, pulling 148 people out of the ocean.
The city’s Lifesaving Service restricted beachgoers to wading no more than ankle deep. On Sunday, swimmers were restricted to water below their knees.
As Danielle has drifted away, local officials have begun preparing for another, more severe storm and another round of dangerous surf.
Projections suggest that Hurricane Earl, now a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 135 mph, will be close to the North Carolina coast on Thursday, bringing with it, at the very least, pounding surf, gale-force winds — and rip currents.
Those are narrow, river-like channels that flow away from shore and pull swimmers out to sea. Even experienced swimmers can drown.
In an average year, rip currents are more dangerous than hurricanes, lightning and tornadoes combined. This month, rip currents caused the deaths of at least two vacationers to the Outer Banks. A Vermont man died off Kill Devil Hills after being caught in a rip current, and a Maryland man drowned off Ocracoke Island.
As preparations begin for the next storm, as lines form in grocery stores and batteries, bread and water supplies dwindle, it’s not time to panic. Hampton Roads knows this.
Instead, we know that a storm off the coast means it’s time to prepare. It’s also time to use common sense and heed warnings about killer surf.
A red flag on the beach doesn’t mean it’s time to ride the waves. It means it’s too dangerous to be in the water. So stay on the sand.
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