If you are planning to hit the beach this weekend, make sure you stay safe. Hurricane Ernesto is expected to bring dangerous conditions to sections of the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Maine despite enjoyable summertime temperatures, according to multiple reports. Hurricane Ernesto is moving north through the Atlantic Ocean several hundred miles away from the East Coast, but treacherous rip currents and unsafe surf are expected to impact beaches in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina by Thursday before reaching North Carolina by Friday, according to the Washington Post and Fox Weather .
“Even though Ernesto is forecast to remain well offshore of the U.S. East Coast, swells generated by the storm are expected to reach the area late this week and into the weekend,” National Hurricane Center forecasters told Fox Weather .
“Beachgoers should be aware of a significant risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents, and stay out of the water if advised by lifeguards.” What is a rip current? According to the National Weather Service , rip currents, which are different from rip tides, 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.” Rip currents can move at speeds of up to 8 feet per second, faster than an Olympic swimmer. If you are caught in a rip current, do not fight it.
Instead, swim parallel to the shore and angle yourself to swim towards land a.