Irene: Surfs up!

Surfs up, Irene is right at your door. Florida lucked out and won't see landfall, looks like the eye is going to pass offshore. But the waves, wind and rip currents should be brutal.

Weather experts warn people away from the surf this weekend
By TOM BARTON

Emergency management and National Weather Service officials warned boaters in Beaufort County to stay off the water and swimmers to stay out of the water Friday and Saturday in preparation for Hurricane Irene’s passage this weekend.

Waves and rip currents were already increasing Thursday afternoon on the beaches of Hilton Head Island.

Meteorologists and the Coast Guard warn Hurricane Irene could bring gale force winds to the South Carolina coast and inland waters will be choppy.

The agency increased its alert level for the state’s coast and advised large vessels to make preparations to leave or to let the Coast Guard know they are staying the Irene approaches. Boaters should also make sure small boats are moored properly, and recommends those living on houseboats seek shelter on land.

The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch for the coastal waters of Beaufort and Jasper counties.

A tropical storm watch means conditions with winds between 39 and 73 mph are expected within 48 hours.

“Mariners should not venture out Friday and Saturday,” said Steve Rowley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston. “Cancel any plans you have for fishing expeditions. Let this thing pass by. By Saturday afternoon and evening things should start to improve. Things will deteriorate from here on out for coastal waters. Anyone heading into or out of Beaufort County by boat needs to rethink their plans.”

Swimmers, as well, should stay out of the water, Rowley said.

The weather service and Town of Hilton Head Island issued warnings Thursday saying wind and waves breaking in excess of five feet pose a high risk for strong rip currents, which could be life threatening.

Rip currents are narrow, powerful channels of water that drag swimmers away from shore. They happen most often at low spots or breaks in the sandbar and around structures such as groin, jetties and piers.

People should stay off those structures as well, Rowley said. High waves could easily break over them and wash people out to sea, he said.

Swimmers were already being cautioned at the beaches on Hilton Head Thursday afternoon, as currents and waves began to pick up.

“We’ve been tossing flags up constantly today,” said Mike Wagner, manager of operations for Shore Beach Service. “The waves are definitely stronger than usual. We’ve called people in if they’re any farther out than waste-deep water. If you’re not a good swimmer, you should stay out of the water all together.”

The high surf could also cause some minor flooding at high tide in shallow areas along the coast and beach erosion, Rowley said.

Scott Liggett, director of public facilities and projects for Hilton Head, said residents and visitors should expect changes on the beach, including the island’s heel.

Work is slated to begin in early October to pump about a million cubic yards of sand onto a mile-long stretch of beach at Port Royal Plantation to combat a decade of erosion that has claimed about 100 feet of beachfront per year.

“Whether we replace sand lost from high waves caused by Irene will be driven based on need and budgetary concerns and constraints,” Liggett said. “We will see some erosion and sand moved around with the passage of the storm, but it’s hard to quantify what that will be.”

Irene is projected to be about 250 miles out to sea when it passes by the area Friday night into Saturday morning before possibly making landfall near North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Saturday afternoon, with winds around 115 mph.

The storm pounded the Bahamas early Thursday with widespread damage reported on at least two southern islands. It was a powerful Category 3 hurricane with winds at 115 mph. Forecasters said winds will ramp up quickly over the next day and Irene was expected to blow into a Category 4 with winds at least 131 mph.