HIGH SURF ADVISORY
Warning Issue Date: 356 PM AST WED DEC 30 2009
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM AST FRIDAY...
...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXTENDED THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY
FOR THE NORTHWEST THROUGH NORTHEAST COASTS OF ALL OF THE LOCAL
ISLANDS UNTIL 11 AM AST FRIDAY.
THE COASTAL FLOOD WATCH FOR THE NORTHWEST THROUGH NORTHEAST COASTS
OF ALL OF THE LOCAL ISLANDS HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
LONG PERIOD...NORTH NORTHEAST SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY
SUBSIDE ACROSS THE LOCAL ATLANTIC WATERS AND CARIBBEAN PASSAGES
THROUGH TONIGHT. HOWEVER...A NEW GROUP OF LARGE...LONG PERIOD...
NORTH NORTHWEST TO NORTH SWELLS WILL INVADE THESE WATERS LATE
TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST
FRIDAY NIGHT. THESE COMBINED SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE
DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS...WITH BREAKING WAVES OF 10 TO 16 FEET
AND LOCALLY HIGHER ALONG THE NORTHERN EXPOSED REEFS...BEACHES AND
SHOALS OF THE LOCAL ISLANDS...AND DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS.
THEREFORE...THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED.
HOWEVER...SIGNIFICANT COASTAL FLOODING IS NO LONGER EXPECTED AND
THUS THE COASTAL FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THESE BREAKING WAVES WILL GENERATE STRONG AND DANGEROUS CURRENTS
WITHIN THE SURF ZONE...CALLED RIP CURRENTS. THESE NARROW OUTWARD
FLOWING CURRENTS CAN CARRY PEOPLE AND ANIMALS AWAY FROM THE COAST
LINE AND OUT TO SEA. IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT
PANIC. CALMLY...REMAIN AFLOAT...GATHER YOUR BEARINGS RELATIVE TO THE
BEACH...AND SWIM PARALLEL TO THE BEACH. YOU WILL EVENTUALLY LEAVE
THE GRIP OF THIS NARROW CURRENT...AND BE ABLE TO SAFELY SWIM TO
SHORE.
LOCAL BEACH GOERS...AND INEXPERIENCED SURFERS AND SWIMMERS ARE URGED
TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER UNTIL THESE HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS
SUBSIDE. PERSONS ON THE BEACH SHOULD BE VIGILANT FOR LARGE BREAKING
WAVES SURGING UPON THE SHORE...WHICH CAN CARRY PEOPLE OF ALL SIZES
INTO THE OCEAN. YOU SHOULD AVOID BEING NEAR THE SHORE LINE AND STAY
OFF OF ROCK FORMATIONS.
THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR BEACH EROSION WILL BE DURING TIMES OF
HIGH TIDE.
THE TIMES AND HEIGHTS OF THE NEXT HIGH TIDES FOR THE FOLLOWING
LOCATIONS ARE:
SAN JUAN HARBOR: 0.8 FEET AT 6:49 PM THIS EVENING
1.9 FEET AT 8:57 AM THURSDAY
MAGENS BAY ST THOMAS: 1.6 FEET AT 9:38 AM THURSDAY
CHRISTIANSTED ST CROIX: 1.0 FEET AT 8:11 AM THURSDAY
PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION ON THIS DANGEROUS MARINE SITUATION FROM YOUR NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN SAN JUAN.
THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE
INFORMATION...IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SJU
OR AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV.
$$
BCS
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