Alert archive / South Carolina / Rip Current Statements in 2013

Rip Current Statement 8, NWS Wilmington, NC

July 3, 2013Horry County, South Carolina; Brunswick County, North Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this rip current statement at Jul 3, 2013, 8:55 PM EDT for Horry County, South Carolina; Brunswick County, North Carolina. It took effect at Jul 4, 2013, 7:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 13 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 3, 2013, 8:55 PM EDT (00:55 UTC)
In effect from
Jul 4, 2013, 7:00 AM EDT
Expired
Jul 4, 2013, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
13 hr
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC

Counties Brunswick County, NC, Horry County, SC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 16 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:56 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 176 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 2013-07-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2024 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 2013-07-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 86 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2024 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
625 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
86 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
86 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

690 
WHUS42 KILM 040055
CFWILM

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
855 PM EDT WED JUL 3 2013


NCZ110-SCZ054-041000-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0008.130704T1100Z-130705T0000Z/
COASTAL BRUNSWICK-COASTAL HORRY-
855 PM EDT WED JUL 3 2013

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM EDT THURSDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH RIP
CURRENT RISK...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM EDT THURSDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING.

* LOCATION...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IS IN EFFECT ON THURSDAY FOR
  ALL BRUNSWICK COUNTY BEACHES AND THE HORRY COUNTY BEACHES FROM
  NORTH MYRTLE BEACH NORTHWARD.

* RIP CURRENT RISK...STRONG RIP CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN ON
  THURSDAY AS WIND AND WAVE CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR
  ENHANCED RIP CURRENT ACTIVITY. THERE WERE TWO CONFIRMED RIP
  CURRENT DROWNINGS IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY TODAY...AND THREE OTHER
  PEOPLE WERE HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING RESCUED. STRONG RIP
  CURRENTS WERE ALSO REPORTED AT NORTH MYRTLE BEACH TODAY WITH
  OVER 45 RIP RESCUES.

* WIND AND WAVES...SOUTHEAST SWELLS OF 4 TO 5 FEET AT 7 SECONDS
  WILL CREATE BREAKING WAVES OF 3 TO 4 FEET AT THE BRUNSWICK AND
  NORTHERN HORRY COUNTY BEACHES. ADDITIONALLY...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST
  WINDS 10 TO 15 KTS WILL FURTHER ENHANCE THE RIP CURRENT THREAT.

* TIMING...THE STRONGEST RIP CURRENTS WILL OCCUR WITHIN A 2 HOUR
  WINDOW EITHER SIDE OF LOW TIDE...WHICH WILL OCCUR THURSDAY
  AROUND 1130 AM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. 

RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS...JETTIES
AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY
ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS. 

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM
AND BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE. ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE
FORCE OF THE RIP CURRENT...BEGIN TO SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG
SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY.

&&

$$

BJR
2 follow-up statements
608 
WHUS42 KILM 040920
CFWILM

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
520 AM EDT THU JUL 4 2013

NCZ110-SCZ054-050000-
/O.CON.KILM.RP.S.0008.130704T1100Z-130705T0000Z/
COASTAL BRUNSWICK-COASTAL HORRY-
520 AM EDT THU JUL 4 2013

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...

* LOCATION...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IS IN EFFECT TODAY FOR ALL
  BRUNSWICK COUNTY BEACHES AND THE HORRY COUNTY BEACHES FROM NORTH
  MYRTLE BEACH NORTHWARD.

* RIP CURRENT RISK...STRONG RIP CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AS
  WIND AND WAVE CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR ENHANCED RIP
  CURRENT ACTIVITY. THERE WERE TWO CONFIRMED RIP CURRENT DROWNINGS
  IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY YESTERDAY...AND THREE OTHER PEOPLE WERE
  HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING RESCUED. STRONG RIP CURRENTS WERE ALSO
  REPORTED AT NORTH MYRTLE BEACH YESTERDAY WITH OVER 45 RIP RESCUES.

* WIND AND WAVES...SOUTHEAST SWELLS OF 4 TO 5 FEET AT 7 SECONDS 
  WILL CREATE BREAKING WAVES OF 3 TO 4 FEET AT THE BRUNSWICK AND 
  NORTHERN HORRY COUNTY BEACHES. ADDITIONALLY...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST 
  WINDS 10 TO 15 KTS WILL FURTHER ENHANCE THE RIP CURRENT THREAT.

* TIMING...THE STRONGEST RIP CURRENTS WILL OCCUR WITHIN A 2 HOUR
  WINDOW EITHER SIDE OF LOW TIDE...WHICH WILL OCCUR TODAY AROUND
  1130 AM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.

RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS...JETTIES
AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY
ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM
AND BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE. ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE
FORCE OF THE RIP CURRENT...BEGIN TO SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG
SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY.

&&

$$

SGL
818 
WHUS42 KILM 041957
CFWILM

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
357 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013

NCZ110-SCZ054-050400-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0009.130705T1100Z-130706T0000Z/
/O.CON.KILM.RP.S.0008.000000T0000Z-130705T0000Z/
COASTAL BRUNSWICK-COASTAL HORRY-
357 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...
...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH RIP
CURRENT RISK...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY
EVENING.

* LOCATION...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IS IN EFFECT TODAY AND FRIDAY FOR
  ALL BRUNSWICK COUNTY BEACHES AND THE HORRY COUNTY BEACHES FROM
  NORTH MYRTLE BEACH NORTHWARD.

* RIP CURRENT RISK...STRONG RIP CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN ON
  FRIDAY AS WIND AND WAVE CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR ENHANCED
  RIP CURRENT ACTIVITY. NUMEROUS RIP RESCUES OCCURRED IN BRUNSWICK
  COUNTY TODAY WITH ONE PERSON HOSPITALIZED. STRONG RIP CURRENTS
  WERE REPORTED AT NORTH MYRTLE BEACH TODAY WITH OVER 40 RIP
  RESCUES AS OF 345 PM.

* WIND AND WAVES...SOUTHEAST SWELLS OF 4 TO 5 FEET AT 7 SECONDS 
  WILL CREATE BREAKING WAVES OF 3 TO 4 FEET AT THE BRUNSWICK AND 
  NORTHERN HORRY COUNTY BEACHES. ADDITIONALLY...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST 
  WINDS 10 TO 15 KTS WILL FURTHER ENHANCE THE RIP CURRENT THREAT.

* TIMING...THE STRONGEST RIP CURRENTS WILL OCCUR WITHIN A 2 HOUR
  WINDOW EITHER SIDE OF LOW TIDE...WHICH WILL OCCUR FRIDAY AROUND
  1200 PM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.

RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS...JETTIES
AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY
ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM
AND BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE. ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE
FORCE OF THE RIP CURRENT...BEGIN TO SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG
SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY.

&&

$$

BJR

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wilmington, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 4, 3:57 PM EDTRip Current StatementILMHorry28 hr

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in South Carolina, 2013Rip Current Statements in North Carolina, 2013Every rip current statement in 2013

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.