National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Nationally, over 100 deaths a year are caused by rip currents, more than tornadoes or lightning, and the Great Lakes are not immune.  From 2002 through 2003, 18 people have died in Lake Michigan alone, and in 2003, a young man drowned in a rip current on Park Point in Duluth.  Many of these deaths can be avoided by knowing what rip currents are, how to spot them, understanding the conditions in which they form, and knowing how to escape. 
 
These items and others will be discussed on June 4, 2009 at the Lafayette Community Center in Duluth, MN, where Minnesota Sea Grant and the National Weather Service office in Duluth are sponsoring a day-long conference on Rip Currents in the Great Lakes.  

The 2009 Great Lakes Rip Current Conference will feature national experts on rip currents and hypothermia, discussing the mechanics of how, why, and where rip currents form in the Great Lakes, our ability to forecast rip current conditions, the effects of hypothermia and how cold water can affect rescues, and example programs from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota on educating beach users to recognize and escape from rip currents. 

The conference is open to all; pre-registration is required.  Registration form (available on the Minnesota Sea Grant Website) and $10 fee for lunch must be received by June 1.  More information is available at: www.seagrant.umn.edu/rip  or contact: Jesse Schomberg, MN Sea Grant at 218-726-6182 or jschombe@umn.edu or Dean Packingham, NWS Duluth Office at Dean.Packingham@noaa.gov