National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Lake Michiganĭrowning Humans Lakes Michigan Water Wind © 2022 Elsevier B.V.Īuthor keywords Convective storms Drowning Flash rips Lake Michigan Meteorologically induced water level fluctuations Indexed keywords Engineering controlled terms:Īccidents Beaches Hazards Offshore oil well production Storms Water levelsĬondition Convective storms Flash rip Lake michigan Meteorologically induced water level fluctuation Offshores Storm events Water-jetting Water-level fluctuation Wind waveĬonvective system environmental risk flash flood nearshore environment storm surge storm track water levelĪrticle atmosphere coastal waters drowning flash rip hazard hydrodynamics lake meteorology seashore storm (weather) wind drowning human Michigan There is an urgent need for communication, education, and prediction/forecast of hidden flash rips to the Laurentian Great Lakes and worldwide coastal communities. Historical observations for incidents in Lake Michigan between 20 further show that dry conditions or fair weathers and a calm water signature at the beach can likely generate unexpected hidden flash rips, resulting in the highest drowning risks.
With small wind waves, low water level fluctuations, and a timing delay of rip occurrences relative to the causative convective storms, flash rips pose a hidden hazard to unaware swimmers. Results shows that flash rips were generated during or after storms through nearshore processes of storm-induced wind waves and meteorologically induced water level fluctuations. Occurrences and causes of flash rips were depicted through webcam image observations, storm features of atmospheric disturbances, hydrodynamic circumstances of wind waves and meteorologically induced water level fluctuations, and model-reconstructed nearshore circulations.
This study reveals hazards of flash rips by investigating a series of drowning incidents along coasts of Lake Michigan during a series of storm events on July 18–21, 2019.
Abstract View referencesįlash rips are episodic bursts of water jetting offshore, which can lead to drowning incidents by sweeping swimmers offshore without warning, thus posing a hidden and unrecognized danger to beachgoers.