South Carolina, 2023

Rip Current in South Carolina, July 29, 2023

July 29, 2023 · NWS CHS · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The presence of onshore flow and lingering swell energy combined to produce an elevated risk of rip currents along southeast South Carolina beaches. A few rip currents occurred at Folly Beach and created dangerous swimming conditions.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS CHS wrote it up.

The presence of onshore flow and lingering swell energy combined to produce an elevated risk of rip currents along southeast South Carolina beaches. A few rip currents occurred at Folly Beach and created dangerous swimming conditions.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 29, 9:44 AM EST, 3 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 29, 9:44 AM EST, 3 hours 16 minutes before
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Event by event

1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.

Rip Current, Charleston

When
July 29, 1:00 PM EST to 1:30 PM EST
Where
Charleston forecast zone
Reported by
Lifeguard

Folly Beach lifeguards reported 3 moderate strength rip currents between the Dunes House and the Pelican Watch Pavilion. Two swimmers had to be rescued.

What these are

Rip Current
A narrow, fast current flowing away from the beach that caused a drowning or rescue.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, July 2023

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1123962.