000
WHCA42 TJSJ 280819
CFWSJU

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
419 AM AST FRI MAR 28 2008

PRZ001-002-005-008-010-012-013-VIZ001-282000-
/O.EXT.TJSJ.SU.Y.0007.000000T0000Z-080328T2000Z/
SAN JUAN AND VICINITY-NORTHEAST-NORTH CENTRAL-NORTHWEST-
MAYAGUEZ AND VICINITY-CULEBRA-VIEQUES-
ST. THOMAS/ST. JOHN/ADJACENT ISLANDS-
419 AM AST FRI MAR 28 2008

...HIGH SURF ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM AST THIS AFTERNOON...

THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 4 PM AST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR THE NORTHWEST THROUGH NORTHEAST COASTS OF PUERTO
RICO...INCLUDING CULEBRA AND VIEQUES...AND FOR THE NORTHWEST
THROUGH NORTHEAST COASTS OF ST THOMAS...ST JOHN AND THE ADJACENT
SMALLER ISLANDS.

THE LONG PERIOD...NORTH NORTHWEST SWELLS THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTING
THE LOCAL ATLANTIC WATERS AND THE CARIBBEAN PASSAGES SINCE
THURSDAY...HAVE SUBSIDED SLIGHTLY AND BECOME MORE NORTH EARLY THIS
FRIDAY MORNING. HOWEVER...THESE LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL CONTINUE
TO PRODUCE LARGE BREAKING WAVES OF 8 TO 12 FEET ALONG THE LOCAL
REEFS AND SHOALS OF THE NORTHWEST THROUGH NORTHEAST COASTS OF THE
LOCAL ISLANDS...WITH WAVES OF 5 TO 8 FEET ALONG THE BEACHES OF
THE LOCAL ISLANDS THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THESE SWELLS AND
THEIR RESULTANT BREAKING WAVES WILL MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS SURF
CONDITIONS. THEREFORE...THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED
UNTIL 4 PM AST THIS AFTERNOON.

THESE BREAKING WAVES WILL CONTINUE TO GENERATE STRONG AND
DANGEROUS CURRENTS WITHIN THE SURF ZONE...CALLED RIP CURRENTS.
THESE NARROW OUTWARD FLOWING CURRENTS CAN CARRY PEOPLE AWAY FROM
THE COAST LINE...THROUGH THE BREAKER ZONE...AND OUT TOWARD OPEN
SEA. IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC.
CALMLY...REMAIN AFLOAT...GATHER YOUR BEARINGS RELATIVE TO THE
BEACH...AND SWIM PARALLEL TO THE BEACH. YOU WILL EVENTUALLY LEAVE
THE GRIP OF THIS NARROW CURRENT...AND BE ABLE TO SAFELY SWIM TO
SHORE.

LOCAL BEACH GOERS...AND INEXPERIENCED SURFERS AND SWIMMERS ARE URGED
TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER UNTIL THESE HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS
SUBSIDE. PERSONS ON THE BEACH SHOULD BE VIGILANT FOR LARGE BREAKING
WAVES SURGING UPON THE SHORE...WHICH CAN KNOCK ONE DOWN AND CARRY
PERSONS OF ALL SIZES INTO THE OCEAN. YOU SHOULD AVOID BEING NEAR
THE SHORE LINE AND STAY OFF OF ROCK FORMATIONS.

THESE SURGING WAVES WILL ALSO CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME BEACH
EROSION DURING TIMES OF HIGH TIDE.

THE TIME AND HEIGHT OF THE NEXT HIGH TIDE FOR THE FOLLOWING
LOCATION IS:

SAN JUAN HARBOR: 12:35 PM THIS AFTERNOON AT 0.7 FEET.

PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON
THIS DANGEROUS MARINE SITUATION FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE IN SAN JUAN.

THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE
INFORMATION...IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SJU
OR AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV.

$$

BCS