Overview

• NOAA and the National Weather Service list moderate to high rip current risk from Miami to Maine on Aug. 18–19, with advisories tied to Erin’s offshore swell.
• Lifeguards at New Hampshire’s Hampton Beach recently conducted 144 rescues linked to rough surf, including about 50 on Aug. 12, underscoring the hazard.
• Rip currents kill roughly 100 people in the U.S. each year and account for about 80% of beach water rescues, according to lifesaving officials.
• Scientists note that wave energy from hurricanes travels great distances, and officials say elevated rip risk could persist beyond the storm as beaches reshape.
• Authorities urge swimming only near lifeguards, checking NWS surf-zone forecasts and flag systems, using the ‘flip, float, follow’ guidance, and avoiding untrained rescues.