REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Rehoboth Beach is gearing up for the impacts of Hurricane Franklin, currently positioned hundreds of miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. A high pressure system will continue to drive the storm away from our coast. However, the looming danger of high surf and treacherous rip currents has put the Rehoboth Beach Patrol on high alert. This, thanks to the large wind field of the powerful storm.Â
The best advice issued to beachgoers is to avoid venturing into the rough waters altogether. However, for those unfortunate enough to find themselves caught in a rip current, Megan Culbertson, Lieutenant of the Rehoboth Beach Patrol, emphasizes, "Swim to the side, you don't want to swim against the current because then you're still going to stay in the same spot if the current's really strong."
Even as vacationers like the DiMarco family, visiting from New York, enjoy their final week before the school year resumes, they remain attentive to the forecast.
Dina DiMarco explains, "We heard about the storms coming in. We didn't think it was going to impact our travel much but you know, we can sit and enjoy and sit by the ocean and just listen to the waves."
The waves are already becoming stronger, yet they remain safe enough for a casual dip. However, the seas are expected to get a lot bigger and a lot more dangerous as the day goes on.
The National Hurricane Center forecasts that "life-threatening surf and rip currents" will persist for much of the week along the east coast.
Lieutenant Culbertson further advises, "If people don't know how to identify rips, again, ask a lifeguard but you can probably see it off of a jetty. It's usually very consistent and so when people are next to it and then they might get pulled into it, that's a huge hazard."
To mitigate risks, the beach is full of warning signs, alerting visitors to potential hazards. Culbertson adds, "The flags at the beach patrol headquarters, are about the surf conditions. So green flag means surf conditions are very low risk. Yellow flag which is what we've had up for a few weeks now, means moderate risk, usually bigger waves and rip currents."
The Rehoboth Beach Patrol also emphasizes the importance of monitoring the color of flag at the lifeguard headquarters and staying within the vicinity of a lifeguard, especially now that the lifeguard team has dwindled due to the return of many guards to school.
While the remnants of Hurricane Idalia are projected to hit Florida on Wednesday, they are also anticipated to indirectly affect the Delaware coast with high winds and rough seas by the end of the week.
Currently, there are no direct hurricane landfalls forecast for Delmarva as of now. However, hurricane activity in the Atlantic is ramping up, coinciding with the peak of hurricane season.Â
It is always a good idea to have a safety plan in place before a storm ever hits.Â