HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — The National Weather Service’s Grand Rapids meteorologists have issued a beach hazards statement, in effect all day Friday, June 1, 2018.
The risks include dangerous conditions for swimmers: rip tides caused by strong structural currents and high-wave action along the lakeshore in these counties: Allegan, Ottawa, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana and Van Buren.
The following beaches are included in the warning area: Holland State Park, Muskegon State Park, North Beach in South Haven, Mears State Park in Pentwater, and Stearns Park in Ludington.
A small craft advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. Friday through 1 p.m Saturday.
Northerly winds reaching 15 to 25 mph Friday will cause wave heights to build to 3 to 6 feet, according to the NWS statement. This can make swimming difficult for even the strongest swimmers.
Structural currents, which form alongpiers, can sweep a swimmer into deeper water. Longshore currents can impede swimmers from gaining traction in shallower water by putting their feet on the lake’s bottom.
Rip currents develop near or around sandbars and can pull even a strong swimmer further from shore.
