COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
155 PM CST SAT NOV 7 2009

...MINOR COASTAL FLOODING POSSIBLE SUNDAY AND MONDAY...

.A BROAD AREA OF STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS POSITIONED
OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES AND NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. A
SURFACE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE BAY OF CAMPECHE WILL BE
SLIDING NORTH INTO THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO. EAST WINDS BETWEEN
THESE TWO SYSTEMS WILL STRENGTHEN THROUGH SUNDAY...BUILDING SWELLS
ON TOP OF HIGH TIDES ALONG THE LOWER TEXAS COASTLINE.
...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS CANCELLED THE
COASTAL FLOOD WATCH. A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY AND POSSIBLY A HIGH
SURF ADVISORY MAY BE ISSUED LATER TONIGHT OR SUNDAY.

STRONG EAST WINDS ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE GULF OF MEXICO
THROUGH SUNDAY WILL PUSH LARGE GULF SWELLS UP ONTO THE BEACHES OF
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS BEGINNING LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.

ANY COASTAL FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BE MINOR...WITH LARGE WAVES
BREAKING IN THE SURF ZONE AND RUNNING UP TO THE BASE OF THE DUNES
ON SOUTH PADRE ISLAND. AN OCCASIONAL WAVE MAY WASH UP TO THE
BEACH ACCESS POINTS.

THE LARGE SWELLS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE ROUGH SURF...DANGEROUS RIP
CURRENTS...TIDAL OVERFLOW...AND SOME FLOODING ALONG AREA BEACHES
FROM SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY AT HIGH
TIDE. ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDE ON SATURDAY IS AT 957 PM AND ON
SUNDAY HIGH TIDE IS AT 1028 PM. HIGH TIDES NOW ARE ABOUT 2 FEET
ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER...BUT WILL BE ABOUT A FOOT HIGHER DUE
TO THE SWELL...CAUSING MINOR COASTAL FLOODING. SOME BEACH EROSION
MAY ALSO OCCUR AS THE WAVES PUSH FARTHER ONTO THE AREA BEACHES.

THERE IS ALSO A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. A RIP CURRENT IS A
10 TO 30 YARD WIDE CHANNEL OF WATER THAT CAN PULL EVEN A STRONG
SWIMMER INTO DEEPER WATER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SWIMMING AND OTHER MARINE RELATED ACTIVITIES ALONG THE BEACHES OF
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AND AT BOCA CHICA BEACH ARE HIGHLY DISCOURAGED
THIS WEEKEND DUE TO THE THREAT OF INCREASED SURF AND RIP CURRENT.

IF CAUGHT IN THE SEAWARD PULL OF A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT ATTEMPT
TO MOVE DIRECTLY TOWARD SHORE. INSTEAD...MOVE SIDEWAYS ACROSS THE
RIP CURRENT UNTIL THE PULL EASES. ANOTHER METHOD OF ESCAPE IS TO
LET THE RIP CURRENT PULL YOU SEAWARD 50 TO 100 YARDS...WHERE THE
FORCE WEAKENS. THEN...SWIM TOWARD THE BEACH AT AN ANGLE AWAY FROM
THE CURRENT.