Aug 22, 2009 4:47 pm US/Eastern
Bill Brings Dangerous Rip Tides To Ocean City
OCEAN CITY, Md. (WJZ/AP) ―
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Hurricane Bill is going to have an impact along east coast beaches.
CBS
Hurricane Bill is still packing some power as a category one storm. Even well off the coast, the storm is going to have an impact along east coast beaches.
Alex DeMetrick reports it's already generating potentially deadly rip tides in Ocean City.
For some, running away from water seemed like a very good idea once condition became dangerous.
"Rough, really tight. They're just too big and too heavy," said Steve Blahut, vacationer.
"It's the roughest I've ever been in," said another visitor.
And as Hurricane Bill begins churning up the east coast this weekend, waves will continue building.
This sets the stage for strong rip currents.
"Elevated wave height can cause more channels and more troughs in the ocean floor and also more holes in the sand bars. And that tends to generate more stronger rip currents," said Lt. Ward Kovacs, OC Beach Patrol.
Larger waves mean more water, and what comes in must flow out.
That volume too is increased, and as it looks for the easiest way back out, it will gouge bottom and break through weaker sand bars, creating rip currents.
"Ocean City's open for business. We want people to come down and enjoy the beaches, but use common sense because of the strong rips," said Joe Theobald, OC emergency manager.
Waves are also nothing to underestimate. One man injured his shoulder while body surfing.
"It just threw me into the rail, and I hit my shoulder," said the man.
As Bill passes on, lifeguards will make the call to clear the water. Maximum fall-out from the hurricane is expected midnight Saturday.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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