Aerial images show surfers on the waters off of Bal Harbour. NBC6’s Amy Viteri reports.
Surfers in South Florida? Off of Bal Harbour, they surfed the remnants of Hurricane Milton.
Milton has cleared out of the state and left destruction in its wake in west and central Florida, particularly due to powerful twisters that demolished homes and downed trees. But it also brought choppy waters further south.
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On South Beach, people walked with surf boards in hand and beachgoers waded. Off of Bal Harbour, surfers took to the waves.
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Aerial images show people taking advantage of the unusual swells.
But the National Weather Service in Miami issued a warning about those same, strong swells, saying they bring a high risk of rip currents on the east coast that will last throughout the weekend.
One red flag was flying outside the lifeguard tower at noon, warning of "high hazard" because of high surf and/or strong currents. Go here to see what all the flags mean.
A strong swell from Hurricane Milton is leading to a high risk of rip currents across east coast beaches this weekend.
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) October 11, 2024
If you're heading to the beach, make sure you're only swimming under lifeguard supervision. If caught in a rip current, always swim parallel to the shore! pic.twitter.com/BJTjZeTPHb
Ocean rescue crews that spoke to NBC6 said that while the beach is open, people should exercise extra caution.
Swim near a lifeguard tower, and be careful not to swim too far out. Rip currents can occur at the shore, not just in very deep water.
And remember: to escape a rip current, swim parallel to the shore. Don't try to swim against it, as it'll only use up your energy.
