The U.S. Coast Guard, National Weather Service and the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department are warning the public to be aware of dangerous conditions expected along the Oregon coast starting Friday.
The National Weather Service has issued storm warnings, high wind advisories and hazardous seas warnings for much of the Oregon coast, lasting as late as Saturday evening.
In addition to the arriving storm, the seasonal “King Tides” will be occurring and resulting sneaker waves are expected. These dangerous conditions can happen suddenly and result in beach-goers being swept offshore, the Coast Guard said.
“Sneaker waves represent one of the largest weather threats to beach-goers in the Pacific Northwest”, said Lt. Micaela Crabtree, command duty officer, 13th Coast Guard District. “These large, deadly waves usually follow a period of calm which often results in individuals relaxing their awareness of the potential dangers of the ocean. It is essential to remain vigilant.”
In recent years, the Coast Guard has responded to multiple people swept offshore by sneaker waves, including a Portland family last spring. The Coast Guard asked the public to be aware of dangerous and changing conditions and to stay away from low-lying coastal areas. Flood warnings are also in effect.
Local weather forecasts, tide tables for Yachats and Waldport, and hourly rain amounts are available on the YachatsNews website.
King tides happen when the orbits and alignment of the Earth, moon and sun combine to produce the greatest tidal effects of the year, the state parks department said. King tides will also be Dec. 13-15 and Jan. 11-13.
State parks officials said the huge tides tend to bring in more visitors, but encouraged people to use extreme caution, to respect closures and barricades, stay off the sand and watch the waves from a high spot well above the action.
The rest of northwest Oregon could also see extreme weather this weekend, with the National Weather Service predicting a powerful storm that could bring down trees, clog storm drains and cause power outages, beginning as early as Friday afternoon. The weather service estimates wind gusts on the coast could hit 55 miles per hour, with ocean swells reaching 30 feet.
For more information regarding King Tides visit the NOAA link at https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/kingtide.html