Beachgoers are warned to 'never turn their back to the ocean.'
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
A potent storm in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska churned up the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, creating dangerous conditions at San Francisco Bay Area beaches,Early this morning, the weather service issued a beach hazard statement in effect through Sunday at 1 p.m., warning of sneaker waves and rip currents.
Sneaker waves are waves that are much larger than others in a set. They can catch people off guard, knocking over people standing on the beach, then pulling them into cold, restless surf, where the risk of hypothermia and drowning is real. "Each year, individuals lose their life during similar sneaker wave events along the California coast," the weather service said.Long period WNW swell is causing a high risk of sneaker waves and enhanced rip currents.
Sneaker waves are infrequent but energetic waves that catch people and pets by surprise, overwhelming & knocking them into the ocean.
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