Full Notification

The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids has issued the following beach hazards statement at 11:01 a.m. Friday, July 1, 2016

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1101 AM EDT FRI JUL 1 2016
...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

* HIGH WAVE ACTION... STRONG CURRENTS AND DANGEROUS SWIMMING
CONDITIONS EXPECTED.

* STRONG STRUCTURAL CURRENTS EXPECTED.

* STRONG LONGSHORE CURRENTS EXPECTED.

* RIP CURRENTS EXPECTED.

* LOCATION...BEACHES FROM GRAND HAVEN TO MANISTEE.

* BEACHES WITH PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ON FRIDAY
INCLUDE...

NORTH BEACH IN MUSKEGON STATE PARK...MEARS STATE PARK IN
PENTWATER...STEARNS PARK IN LUDINGTON.

* OVERVIEW/POTENTIAL IMPACTS..NORTH WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WILL
RESULT IN 3 TO 5 FOOT WAVES FOR THE REST OF TODAY. WINDS AND
WAVES WILL DIMINISH BY EARLY THIS EVENING. VERY DANGEROUS
CURRENTS CAN BE EXPECTED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF PIERS AND
BREAKWALLS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HIGH WAVE ACTION MAKES SWIMMING DIFFICULT AND CAN TIRE EVEN A
STRONG SWIMMER QUICKLY.

STRUCTURAL CURRENTS FORM ALONG PIERS WHERE LONGSHORE CURRENTS AND
WAVE ACTION FLOW INTO THE STRUCTURE. STRUCTURAL CURRENTS CAN
SWEEP YOU OUT INTO DEEPER WATER ALONG THE PIER STRUCTURE.

A LONGSHORE CURRENT IS A LAKE CURRENT THAT MOVES PARALLEL TO
SHORE. LONGSHORE CURRENTS CAN BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PREVENT
SWIMMERS FROM BEING ABLE TO KEEP THEIR FEET ON THE BOTTOM...
MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO RETURN TO SHORE.

RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN
SANDBARS. RIP CURRENTS CAN SWEEP YOU INTO DEEPER WATER.