 With
predictions for stormier than usual weather patterns this summer,
the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium (NJMSC) and its New Jersey
Sea Grant Program are redoubling efforts to educate beach goers about
the dangers of rip currents.
NJMSC and NJ Sea Grant took the lead in New Jersey in 2004 and
created a comprehensive rip current awareness campaign for the state
which included designing, producing and distributing thousands of
metal signs including a Spanish version, warning swimmers about
the danger of rip currents and illustrating what to do if caught
in one. The signs were posted at strategic beach access
and bathing points in essentially every shore community along the
New Jersey coast.  Thousands
of rip
current awareness brochures were also printed and distributed
at municipal buildings, beach badge check-points and other strategic
locations from
Sandy Hook
to
Cape
May
. The initial rip current awareness project was a
partnership effort between NJMSC and the NJDEP,
NJDOT
,
NJ
Travel and Tourism, NOAA-NWS
and the NJ State Police OEM.
 NJMSC
has created this page which includes a downloadable PDF file of
its rip current brochure plus a number of useful links to sites
to help make swimmers more rip current savvy. A limited number of the metal beach signs are still available. Municipal officials interested in obtaining additional signs
can email Dr. Peter Rowe, Director
of the New Jersey Sea Grant Extension Program or by calling him
at 732-872-1300 ext 31.
|
