Parts of three states must stay out of the water due to dangerous waves

National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists in Alabama, Florida and California are advising residents of some cities to do so stay out of the ocean due to dangerous conditions.

The Mobile, Alabama and Tallahassee, Florida, NWS offices have issued a coastal hazard message on Thursday morning, while the Los Angeles office issues one on Wednesday. All three messages warned people of dangerous ocean conditions caused by large wwaves and rip currents. According to NWS, rip currents claimed the lives of 49 people between the ages of 8 and 86 in 2024.

The Alabama warning was issued for coastal portions of Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama and coastal portions of Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties in the Florida Panhandle. The warning issued by Tallahassee was in effect for Franklin County beaches in the Florida Panhandle. The Los Angeles warning was in effect for the Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands.

The coastal message remains in effect through Thursday afternoon in California, through the weekend in Florida and through Monday evening in Alabama.

“Hazardous swimming and surfing conditions and localized beach erosion. Rip currents can carry even the best swimmers away from shore and into deeper water,” the mobile alert said.

NWS meteorologist David Reese told it Newsweek that the waves are caused by increased swell from Hurricane Rafael, a Category 2 hurricane raging in the Gulf of Mexico.

“We are seeing increasing swell here in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, with the circulation around Rafael moving clockwise,” Reese said. “As Rafael moves away from Cuba, many of the wind-generated waves and swells are moving along the west coast of Florida.”

Rafael made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday afternoon before leaving the Gulf.

Each alert warned people, especially inexperienced swimmers, to stay out of the ocean until calmer conditions presented themselves.

“There is an increased risk of drowning in the ocean,” the warning from California said. “Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Large breaking waves can cause injuries, wash people off beaches and rocks and capsize small boats close to shore.”

Breaking waves up to 2 meters high affected the Californian islands. Waves of similar size hit Mobile’s beaches, with waves up to six feet high hitting the Tallahassee forecast region.

“Swim near a lifeguard. If you find yourself in a rapid, relax and stay afloat,” the Mobile alert advised. ‘Don’t swim against the current. If you are able to do so, swim in the direction that follows the shoreline. If you cannot escape, face the shore and shout or wave for help.”

Reese advised all beachgoers to keep an eye out for beach flags if they venture to the affected coastal areas this weekend. A single red flag indicates that rip currents are present, while double red flags mean that the beaches are closed.