Red flags flying in Virginia Beach and Outer Banks due to dangerous rip current risk
Officials are advising beachgoers to be cautious Monday as high surf conditions in Virginia Beach and North Carolina cause high risk of rip currents.
Virginia Beach cautioned that red flags indicating dangerous water conditions are flying at the Resort and Sandbridge, according to a Monday Twitter post from the city. Swimmers should take “extreme caution” if going into the water and make sure to swim in front of a lifeguard.
Red flags are also up along the Outer Banks due to high rip current risk. Beachgoers in North Carolina can stay up-to-date with weather conditions by signing up for OBXAlerts text messages.
A high rip current risk means “life threatening rip currents are likely” and beachgoers should stay out of the water, according to the National Weather Service.
The risk comes as Tropical Storm Alex moves northeast through the Atlantic Ocean and away from the East Coast, according to a Monday morning briefing from the National Weather Service in Wakefield.
Swimmers caught in a rip current should not waste energy trying to swim directly to shore, according to the National Weather Service. Instead, swimmers should swim parallel to the shoreline until escaping the current. Then, swim toward shore at an angle, away from the current, the NWS says.
If you can’t reach the shore, stay calm and call out or wave for help from a lifeguard.
The NWS also provides a series of YouTube videos on rip current safety on their YouTube channel.
Ali Sullivan, 757-677-1974, ali.sullivan@virginiamedia.com
