HIGH SURF ADVISORY
Warning Issue Date: 204 PM AST SAT DEC 26 2009
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM AST WEDNESDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN JUAN HAS ISSUED A HIGH SURF
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM AST WEDNESDAY FOR THE
NORTHWEST THROUGH NORTHEAST COASTS OF PUERTO RICO...CULEBRA AND
VIEQUES...AND FOR ST THOMAS...ST JOHN AND THE ADJACENT SMALLER
ISLANDS.
LONG PERIOD...NORTH NORTHEAST SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC WATERS AND THE CARIBBEAN PASSAGES THE REST OF
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY...RESULTING IN INCREASINGLY
DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTHERN EXPOSED COASTLINES
OF MOST OF THE LOCAL ISLANDS. ALTHOUGH INITIALLY A BORDERLINE
SITUATION FOR THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT...
THESE SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD LATER TONIGHT THROUGH
SUNDAY AND MONDAY...RESULTING IN MORE FREQUENT BREAKING WAVES OF
10 TO 15 FEET ALONG THE LOCAL REEFS...BEACHES AND SHOALS OF THE
LOCAL ISLANDS AND DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS. THEREFORE...A HIGH SURF
ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED. ALSO...THIS ADVISORY WILL PROBABLY NEED
TO BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ST CROIX DURING SUNDAY OR MONDAY.
HOWEVER...EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY...NEW...VERY LARGE NORTH
NORTHEAST SWELLS OF 8 TO POTENTIALLY 11 OR 12 FEET...WITH VERY
LONG WAVE PERIODS OF 14 TO 16 SECONDS ARE EXPECTED TO INVADE THE
LOCAL WATERS BEGINNING LATE MONDAY OR MONDAY NIGHT...PEAK ON
TUESDAY AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY
WEDNESDAY. THESE SWELLS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE VERY LARGE BREAKING
WAVES OF 15 TO 22 FEET OR GREATER AND FREQUENT STRONG RIP
CURRENTS...RESULTING IN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS. IN
ADDITION...SIMILAR SWELL EVENTS OF THIS SIZE AND DURATION HAVE
PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT COASTAL FLOODING ALONG PARTS OF THE NORTHERN
COAST OF PUERTO RICO...AND A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH MAY ALSO BECOME
NECESSARY ON SUNDAY.
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.
THESE SURGING WAVES WILL ALSO CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR BEACH
EROSION DURING TIMES OF HIGH TIDE.
THE TIMES AND HEIGHTS OF THE NEXT HIGH TIDES FOR THE FOLLOWING
LOCATIONS ARE:
SAN JUAN HARBOR: 1.0 FEET AT 3:09 PM AST THIS AFTERNOON
1.5 FEET AT 5:21 AM AST SUNDAY
MAGENS BAY ST THOMAS: 1.1 FEET AT 6:41 AM AST SUNDAY
PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION
ON THIS INCREASINGLY 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.
$$
SEELEY
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