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Public Information Statement

Statement as of 3:45 PM CDT on May 23, 2013


... Lake Michigan Beach forecast season begins may 24th...

The National Weather Service Chicago office will resume issuing
surfzone forecasts for the shoreline of lake and Cook counties in
Illinois and lake and Porter counties in Indiana for the Summer
swim season beginning Friday may 24th.

New for this year: beach hazard statements...

Beach hazard statements will be issued over the Summer on days
when dangerous swimming conditions are expected. The beach hazard
statement addresses various beach hazards and replaces the rip
current statements that have been issued in past years. See the
service change notice at...
www.NWS.NOAA.Gov/om/notification/scn13-33bhs_expansion.Htm for
more details on this transition.

Swim hazard risk replaces rip current risk in the surfzone
forecast...

Part of the transition to beach hazard statements will include the
surfzone forecast. The surfzone forecast will no longer refer to
rip current risk... but instead low... moderate and high swim risk.

Factors contributing to dangerous swimming conditions...

... High waves...

High waves pose several dangers to swimmers at Lake Michigan
beaches. First... high waves will cause swimmers to become
fatigued. Large waves are very powerful and can push a person off
a sandbar and into deeper water... requiring them to swim through
a rapid succession of waves to get back to more shallow water.

... Rip currents and structural currents...

Also... high waves result in strong rip currents and strong
structural currents. Rip currents are strong channels of water that
form rapidly and flow quickly away from shore through breaks or
low spots in The Sandbar. Structural currents are strong currents
which frequently flow along piers... breakwalls... and jetties
toward deeper water offshore.

... Strong offshore winds...

Dangerous swim conditions can also develop with strong offshore
winds. Although wave heights would tend to be lower with offshore
winds... strong winds can still cause dangerous structural currents
in the Chicago area. Southerly winds over 35 mph resulted in
dangerous currents near a pier at Loyola Park beach on may 24
2012... a contributing factor in the tragic drowning of a 15 year
old female.

Furthermore... particularly at the Indiana dunes beaches... strong
southerly winds pose a unique hazard to those on rafts. These
winds can create a current that pulls rafts well away from shore
into deeper water. A 31 year old male drowned on June 18 2012 at
Lake View beach in Beverly Shores when his raft capsized and blew
away from him after drifting over a quarter mile from shore due
to 30 mph southerly winds.

Criteria for issuance of beach hazard statements...

NWS Chicago will issue a beach hazard statement when there is a
high swim risk due to either of the following:

1) high waves of at least 3 to 5 feet and dangerous currents.

2) winds of 30 mph or higher.

We will no longer be issuing statements for a moderate risk... but
a moderate risk will be highlighted in the surfzone forecast.

People heading to Lake Michigan beaches this Summer should...

1. Check www.Weather.Gov/Chicago or NOAA Weather Radio to see if
any beach hazard statements are in effect... and if they are...
plan to stay out of the water on that day.

2. Swim on lifeguarded beaches when possible.

3. Refer to warning flags at local beaches for the latest
information before going into Lake Michigan waters (flag
definitions... green: OK to swim... yellow: caution is urged...
red: hazardous to swim).

Swimming at Lake Michigan beaches is a wonderful part of living
or visiting this area... but on days when waves are high and/or
currents are strong... it is a very dangerous activity and one
that should be postponed until the hazardous conditions subside.
Please stay informed and safe this Summer... and enjoy the
beaches!


Weather Severe Map
Alabama - Fire Weather Watch
Alaska - Areal Flood Watch , Special Weather Statement
Arizona - Wind Advisory , Fire Weather Warning
Arkansas - Flood Warning , Flood Advisory , Public Information Statement
California - Wind Advisory , Frost Advisory , Special Statement , Record Report , Public Information Statement
Colorado - Wind Advisory , Fire Weather Watch , Fire Weather Watch, Fire Weather Warning , Fire Weather Warning, Fire Weather Watch , Fire Weather Warning , Public Information Statement
Connecticut - Flood Warning, Flash Flood Warning , Flood Warning , Areal Flood Advisory , Flash Flood Watch , Public Information Statement
Florida - Severe Thunderstorm Warning , Fire Weather Watch
Georgia - Flood Warning , Public Information Statement
Hawaii - High Wind Warning
Idaho - Frost Advisory , Winter Weather Advisory , Record Report
Illinois - Flood Warning , Flood Advisory , Special Statement , Public Information Statement
Indiana - Beach Hazard Statement , Public Information Statement
Iowa - Flood Warning , Public Information Statement
Kansas - Public Information Statement
Louisiana - Flood Warning , Areal Flood Warning , Areal Flood Advisory , Special Weather Statement , Public Information Statement
Maine - Public Information Statement
Maryland - Flash Flood Warning
Massachusetts - Areal Flood Advisory , Areal Flood Advisory, Flash Flood Watch , Public Information Statement
Michigan - Flood Warning , Flood Advisory , Frost Advisory , Beach Hazard Statement , Record Report , Public Information Statement
Minnesota - Flood Warning , Frost Advisory
Mississippi - Flood Warning , Flood Advisory
Missouri - Flood Warning
Montana - Severe Thunderstorm Warning , High Wind Warning , Lake Wind Advisory , Winter Weather Advisory , Winter Storm Warning , Special Statement , Record Report , Public Information Statement
Nebraska - Wind Advisory , Public Information Statement
Nevada - Freeze Warning , Freeze Warning, Wind Advisory
New Hampshire - Areal Flood Advisory , Public Information Statement
New Jersey - Flash Flood Warning , Areal Flood Advisory , Public Information Statement
New Mexico - Severe Thunderstorm Watch , Fire Weather Warning
New York - Flash Flood Warning , Areal Flood Advisory , Coastal Hazard Statement , Flash Flood Watch , Special Weather Statement , Special Statement , Record Report , Public Information Statement
North Carolina - Severe Thunderstorm Warning , Areal Flood Warning , Special Statement , Special Weather Statement , Public Information Statement
North Dakota - Areal Flood Warning , Areal Flood Warning , Flood Warning , Flood Watch , Flash Flood Watch , Wind Advisory
Ohio - Record Report
Oklahoma - Tornado Watch , Flood Warning , Public Information Statement
Oregon - Special Statement , Record Report
Pennsylvania - Special Weather Statement , Special Statement , Record Report
Rhode Island - Coastal Flood Advisory , Public Information Statement
South Carolina - Flood Warning , Special Statement , Public Information Statement
South Dakota - Wind Advisory , High Wind Warning , High Wind Warning, Wind Advisory
Tennessee - Flood Warning , Flood Advisory , Public Information Statement
Texas - Severe Thunderstorm Watch , Tornado Warning , Tornado Watch , Severe Thunderstorm Warning , Severe Thunderstorm Warning , Flash Flood Warning , Areal Flood Advisory , Flood Watch / Flood Statement , Special Statement , Record Report , Public Information Statement
Utah - Wind Advisory , Public Information Statement
Vermont - Flash Flood Warning , Flash Flood Watch , Special Statement , Record Report
Virginia - Tornado Warning , Flash Flood Warning , Areal Flood Warning , Areal Flood Advisory , Special Weather Statement , Special Statement , Public Information Statement
Washington - Flood Watch , Record Report
West Virginia - Flash Flood Warning , Public Information Statement
Wisconsin - Flood Warning , Frost Advisory , Freeze Warning , Public Information Statement
Wyoming - High Wind Warning , Special Weather Statement , Special Statement , Air Quality Alert , Public Information Statement
- Small Craft Advisory
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