“Giant waves” warning

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE
...GIANT WAVES TO IMPACT THE WASHINGTON COAST ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY…
A LARGE AND POWERFUL LOW PRESSURE CENTER IN THE GULF OF ALASKA HAS GENERATED GIANT WAVES WHICH WILL REACH THE WASHINGTON COAST ON FRIDAY MORNING AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A HIGH SURF WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 4 PM PST
SATURDAY.
A LONG SERIES OF GIANT WAVES WILL START TO IMPACT THE WASHINGTON COAST ON FRIDAY MORNING AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY.
POWERFUL WAVES OF 25 TO 28 FEET ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE
BEACHES DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. THE GIANT WAVES WILL BE SEPARATED BY ABOUT 15 TO 20 SECONDS OF TIME…SO DO NOT BE LULLED BY PERIOD BETWEEN WAVES INTO THINKING IT IS SAFE TO VENTURE CLOSE TO THE WATERS EDGE.

WAVES OF THIS SIZE PUSH LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER ONTO THE COASTLINE AND INTO HARBORS…COVES AND INLETS. COASTAL INLETS…INCLUDING GRAYS HARBOR…CAN EXPECT TO SEE TIDE LEVELS RUNNING ABOUT A FOOT HIGHER THAN TIDE TABLE PREDICTIONS. TIDE TABLES FOR ABERDEEN
PREDICT A HIGH TIDE OF 10.9 FEET AT 245 PM FRIDAY…A HIGH TIDE OF
8.8 FEET AT 441 AM SATURDAY…AND ANOTHER HIGH TIDE OF 10.4 FEET
AT 339 PM SATURDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

THESE WAVES ARE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP UNWARY BEACH WALKERS OUT
TO SEA. PEOPLE CAN BE SERIOUSLY INJURED BY DEBRIS…SUCH AS
LOGS…TOSSED ABOUT IN THE WAVES

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sew/