Do not get in the water: Waves rising, rip current risk at North Topsail Beach
COVERING HURRICANE ERIN'S
IMPACT ACROSS THE COAST.
IT KIRK.
>> IT'S NOW AT NORTH TOPSAIL
ISLAND. HEIDI, WHAT ARE YOU
SEEING ON THE GROUND?
>> ELIZABETH WILL MENTION IT
JUST STARTED TO RAIN FOR THE
FIRST TIME SINCE WE GOT HERE,
WHICH WAS A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO
AND JUST A FEW DROPLETS COMING
DOWN AND A LOT OF WAYS. IT'S
STILL A NICE BEACH DAY OUT
HERE. TAKE A LOOK. YOU'VE GOT
LOTS OF PEOPLE OUT HERE ON
NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH, EVEN
THOUGH THE RAIN DROPS TO JUST
TURN TO GET DOWN. BUT HERE'S
THE MESSAGE WE'VE BEEN SHARING
WITH. PEOPLE DO NOT GET IN THE
WATER, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT
LOOK NICE. IT'S QUITE HOT OUT
HERE. THERE IS STILL A VERY
HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AND
EVEN JUST STANDING HERE FOR
ABOUT THE LAST HOUR OR SO RIGHT
DOWN ON THE BEACH, WE'VE
NOTICED SOME OF THOSE WAVES
GETTING A LITTLE BIT BIGGER.
THE SURF IS REALLY A LITTLE
BIT CHOPPY. THERE'S A LOT GOING
ON HERE. WE'VE BEEN MONITORING
THE CONDITIONS FOR ABOUT THE
LAST DAY OR SO, YOU KNOW, AND
I'VE NOTICED IT GETTING A
LITTLE BIT STRONGER, ESPECIALLY
NOW THAT THE RAIN IS COMING
DOWN HERE.
>> AND IT WATER RESCUES ARE A
MAJOR CONCERN AND IRIS. THE RIP
CURRENTS. WHAT LOCAL OFFICIALS
TELL YOU ABOUT THAT FRIEND.
WELL, ELIZABETH, THEY ARE A
MAJOR CONCERN. WE ACTUALLY
STARTED OUR DAY YESTERDAY IN
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH YESTERDAY.
THERE WERE 15 WATER RESCUES
COMPLETELY TIED TO THOSE RIP
CURRENTS.
>> THE DAY BEFORE THAT GET
THIS, THERE WERE BETWEEN 60 AND
70 WATER RESCUES. SO EVEN
THOUGH IT MIGHT LOOK NICE OUT
THERE, YOU MIGHT THINK YOU CAN
HANDLE IT. THE SURF IS
EXTREMELY CHOPPY. AND THOSE RIP
CURRENTS ARE A HUGE RISKS TO
THE BIG MESSAGE FROM LOCAL
OFFICIALS THAT WE SOAKING WET
IS JUST DON'T GET IN THE WATER.
YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT SEEM HARD.
IT IS CERTAINLY NOT.
>> AND THE STORM SURGE IS
ANOTHER BIG CONCERN. ARE YOU
SEEING ANY KIND OF FLOODING?
WE ARE WATCHING YOUR AREAS TO
BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
>> WELL, RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE
STANDING, WE ARE SEEING ANY OF
THAT. BUT HERE'S WHAT'S
INTERESTING. ACTUALLY SPOKE TO
SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THE CONDOS
BEHIND ME. HE SAID LAST NIGHT
THE WATER ROSE ALL THE WAY UP
HERE. I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU
KIND OF WHAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE
TO HOPEFULLY PREVENT SOME OF
THAT OVER WASH AND BEACH
EROSION. THEY GOT THE SANDBAGS
ALL SET UP HERE. THAT IS TO
PREVENT THE WATER BREAKING
THROUGH THE DUNES AND MAKING IT
ALL THE WAY UP TO THE CONDO IS
BEHIND HERE. SO SO FAR TODAY WE
HAVE NOT SEEN THAT. BUT OF
COURSE, HIGH TIDE IS STILL
COMING UP. AND IN SOME OF THOSE
IMAGES THAT WE'VE BEEN SAID BY
SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE
BEEN STANDING BY, WE DO KNOW
HOW I CAN GET, BUT THE BIGGEST
CONCERN HERE IS IT REACHING
THESE DUNES?
IN HURRICANE ERIN? WE'RE NOT
EXPECTING IT TO GET THAT THAT A
LOT OF PEOPLE STAYING THESE
CONDOS, IT'S A YOU KNOW, WE'RE
GOING TO STAY PUT THEM. AND
THE EAST TO WEST SAID THIS IS
NOT EVEN CLOSE TO IS CONCERNED.
HE'S BEEN IN OTHER STORMS.
THEY'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE
SANDBAGS IN THE FACT THAT WE
HAVEN'T SEEN NOT SURE IT IS
HIGH AS IT COULD BE AT THIS
POINT.
>> TROJAN IS SOMETHING THAT
MANY PEOPLE ARE KEEPING THEIR
EYE ON A SURPRISE. WHAT ARE YOU
SEEING RIGHT NOW?
>> DEFINITELY. SO WE'VE BEEN
CHECKING OUT MULTIPLE AREAS UP
AND DOWN THE COASTLINE AGAIN,
STARTING AT WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH.
WE MADE IT TO WILMINGTON.
NOW WE'RE HERE AND I WANT TO
SHOW YOU THE SPOT THAT WE'VE
ACTUALLY SEEN THE WORST.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK HERE, YOU'LL
SEE THAT THE DUNES ARE QUITE
ERODED IN THE AREA WHERE WE'RE
STANDING RIGHT NOW IN THIS
AREA. IT IS CERTAINLY A BIG
CONCERN. AND LOCAL OFFICIALS
HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY'RE
CONSTANTLY MONITORING THE
DUNES, NOTIFYING PEOPLE ABOUT
THE AREAS THAT ARE THE WORST
AND WHERE THERE COULD BE SOME
OF THAT BREAKTHROUGH HERE.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING
THAT'S ON THE MINDS OF MANY
LOCAL OFFICIALS, ESPECIALLY
DURING HURRICANE SEASON.
HE ACTUALLY TOLD ME HERE IN
NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH, THE TOWN
MANAGER TO BE SPECIFIC THAT
THEY DIDN'T HIRE SURVEY OF THIS
COASTLINE SO THAT THEY KIND OF
HAVE A METRIC FOR HOW MUCH OF
THE DUNES IT'S NOT DURING
HURRICANE SEASON. SO AT THIS
POINT, THEY SAY HURRICANE ERIN,
IS IT THE WORST TYPE OF THREAT
THAT COULD BE? BUT THEY'RE
DEFINITELY STILL MONITORING
IT AND MAKING SURE THAT SOME OF
THOSE PROBLEM AREAS WHERE BEACH
RENOURISHMENT HASN'T BEEN
SUCCESSFUL OR SOME OF THE BEACH
HAS BEEN THE WAY IN THE LAST
FEW STORMS. THEY WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT THOSE AREAS ARE
REINFORCED HEADING INTO
HURRICANE SEASON. AND THAT'S
WHAT THEY'VE DONE SO FAR.
>> IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT
YOU'RE WATCHING OUT FOR PAYING
ATTENTION FOR US? THE STORM
CONTINUES TO TODAY.
>> WELL, THE THING THAT
CONCERNS ME THE MOST OF THOSE
WATER RESCUES IN A COUPLE OF
DAYS AGO, AGAIN, 60 TO 70 ON
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH. THAT IS A
SUPER HIGH NUMBER AND LOTS OF
PEOPLE AGAINST STILL OUT HERE
ON THE BEACH. ALL AGAIN, HOW MY
PHOTOGRAPHER SHOW YOU. LOTS
OF PEOPLE OUT HERE. LOTS OF
PEOPLE OUT IN THE WATER, EVEN
SOME PEOPLE RISKING IT A LITTLE
BIT. BUT THE THING IS THOSE RIP
CURRENTS CAN SNEAK UP ON YOU.
SO LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN
PREACHING IT FOR DAYS ON, IN
FACT, WHERE WE ARE IN NORTH
TOPSAIL BEACH, SOME OF THE
COUNTY MANAGE BEACH ACCESSES
HAVE BEEN CLOSED FOR THAT VERY
REASON. BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'S
STILL PLENTY OF AREAS LIKE
WHERE WE'RE STANDING, WHERE THE
BEACH ACCESSES OPEN. PEOPLE
WANT TO GET IN THE WATER
BECAUSE IT'S HOT WHEN THE SUN'S
OUT, IT SEEMS LIKE A PERFECT
DAY TO GET INTO THE WATER.
BUT YOU SHOULDN'T DO IT.
YOU REALLY SHOULD STAY OUT OF
THERE BECAUSE OF THAT HIGH
CHANCE OF RIP CURRENTS. SO
THAT'S GOING TO BE THE THING
THAT WE'RE WATCHING. OF COURSE,
THE BEACH EROSION AS WELL.
IT'S AGAIN, A WRECK THAT THEY
FACED ALL YEAR ROUND, BUT
ESPECIALLY DURING HURRICANE
SEASON.
>> I THANK YOU SO MUCH AND STAY