* WHAT....Dangerous rip currents.
* WHERE...The beaches of Currituck County.
* WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT this evening.
* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away
from shore into deeper water.
What to do
Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions.
The hazard is happening or about to. Act now: a tornado warning means take shelter, a flash flood warning means move to higher ground.
Watch
Conditions favor the hazard. Nothing is happening yet; have a plan and be ready to act if a warning follows.
Advisory
A hazard that is less serious than a warning but can still cause trouble, such as dense fog, heat or light ice.
Statement
Information about weather that does not yet meet a warning: a strong storm, a hydrologic update, or a special weather statement.
Severity (extreme, severe, moderate, minor) is the rating the issuing office gives each product. More on the difference: tornado watch vs. tornado warning. Alerts come from the National Weather Service; follow its instructions and your local officials.
Sources
Alerts from the National Weather Service's public feed, read afresh every minute, and matched to counties and zones by their UGC codes. Warnings from outside the United States come from each country's own meteorological service. Follow the issuing office's instructions and your local officials.