Rip Currents: A Hurricane Hazard Hundreds of Miles Away
A hurricane doesn't have to make landfall — or even come close — to kill you at the beach. Distant storms drive rip currents that drown about 100 people a year in the U.S. Here's what a rip current is and exactly how to survive one.
A storm doesn't have to come near you to kill you at the beach. Distant hurricanes send out swell that fuels rip currents — powerful, narrow channels of water rushing away from shore — on beaches hundreds of miles from the storm, often under a clear blue sky. A bigger killer than you'd think Rip currents drown about 100 people a year in the United States — more than tornadoes or lightning — and account for most surf-zone rescues. When a hurricane is churning offshore, the danger spikes along the whole coastline in its path, even where the weather is beautiful and the storm is days away or wil…
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