National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists urged more than 200,000 beachgoers to stay out of the water at Lake Superior in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin on Wednesday as the lake, fraught with dangerous waves and currents, prompted a beach hazards statement.
Why It Matters
Lake Superior, renowned as a major summertime recreation destination across the Midwest, faced critical swimming safety concerns on Wednesday. The warning, issued by the NWS office in Duluth, Minnesota, comes during a peak season with area beaches heavily frequented by families, local residents, and tourists.
According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, there have been 51 drowning incidents reported on the Great Lakes this year, including deaths on Lake Superior. Beach hazards statements are vital to alert the public and prevent potential tragedies by highlighting the unpredictable and severe hazards created by changing weather conditions.
What To Know
NWS Duluth issued the beach hazards statement in the early morning hours on Wednesday, placing hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors across Minnesota and Wisconsin on alert. The advisory applied to key Lake Superior beaches, including Minnesota’s Park Point and Wisconsin Point, and would remain in place until the evening hours.
The alert warned about large waves and strong rip currents.
“High wave action can make swimming difficult on days such as this. Incoming waves in rapid succession can tire even an experienced swimmer quickly,” the alert said. “Rip currents can move you away from land. To avoid being swept away, swim parallel to the shore to exit a rip current.”
To reduce risk if caught in a rip current, swimmers are directed to swim parallel to shore, rather than against the current, though the safest option, according to the NWS, is to avoid entering the water entirely during such beach hazards statements.
Combined, the affected regions include communities totaling more than 200,000 people, as noted by the NWS, with officials warning beachgoers to remain out of the water for the duration of the advisory. The warning follows a series of similar hazards statements recently issued for other Great Lakes shorelines earlier this summer, including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, covering millions of residents.
In addition to the beach hazards statement, a hazardous weather outlook was in place across the region as well, in which meteorologists warned of scattered thunderstorms, which could be accompanied by hail, wind, and lightning that strikes the water.
What People Are Saying
NWS meteorologist Krystal Lynum, who works at the Duluth office, told Newsweek: “Especially on days like this where we have stronger winds out of the northeast to the east, we will see waves build in the Twin Ports where the beaches are. Once they get to around 3 feet, that’s when the risk for rip tides really starts to increase.”
NWS Duluth, in a beach hazards statement: “Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions.”
What Happens Next
According to the advisory, beach hazards statements for Lake Superior in Minnesota and Wisconsin remain in effect through Wednesday evening. With summer beach activity at its peak, beachgoers should adhere to all guidance and preparedness actions to prevent further drownings and water injuries.
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