Hurricane Larry is churning about 1000 miles away from the Delmarva coast, but that does not give us the all-clear from all of its impacts. Though we will not experience strong winds, flooding, or storm surge, hurricane Larry spans such a large area with strong winds, that it is producing large swells that are reaching our coast and causing dangerous rip currents.
Todd Fritchman, Captain of the Dewey Beach Patrol and Director of Emergency Medical Response services explains that, “what makes a rip current so dangerous is the amount of energy. The flow of water can exhaust a human being that is trying to fight against that current.”
If caught in a rip current, Fritchman, says that the best thing to do is to “realx, take a ride, let it move you and yell and wave and scream for help. Literally, yell for help so that someone can recognize the problem.”
If caught in a rip current, relax and swim parallel to the shore.
The large ocean swells have overtaken about fifty percent of the shoreline on Dewey beach and that’s all thanks to hurricane Larry.
The dangerous rip current conditions are expected to persist through Sunday, as Larry continues to track northeastward. Fritchman urges beachgoers to check in with a lifeguard to make sure the water is safe before going for a swim.