Fresh beach hazard statements have been issued along parts of Lake Michigan. Forecasters warn of high waves, dangerous currents, and rip currents, posing life-threatening risks for those heading to the shore this weekend. The recent alerts follow previous warnings across all five Great Lakes, prompting officials to advise nearly 1 million people to avoid the water as hazardous conditions developed from Lake Superior to Lake Ontario.
The National Weather Service’s (NWS) Great Lakes Beach Hazards program issues statements when a high swim risk is forecast due to waves, rip currents, or other dangerous currents. The new advisories focus on parts of Wisconsin and Michigan, where forecasters predict strong waves and currents will create hazardous swimming conditions through Friday and in some locations, into Saturday.
Officials emphasize that Great Lakes currents can be just as perilous as ocean currents. The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP), a nonprofit water safety group tracking regional drowning incidents, attributes dozens of deaths each year to dangerous currents, including rip currents and structural currents near piers and breakwalls. There have been about 1,480 Great Lakes drownings since 2010, with 65 reported this year, 35 of which occurred in Lake Michigan.
The warnings come after the summer lifeguard season has ended at many beaches. “This time of year there are no lifeguards on the beaches across the Great Lakes,” said GLSRP executive director Dave Benjamin. “Beaches that have lifeguards typically offer them from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.” This absence means beachgoers encounter hazardous conditions without trained rescuers, highlighting the importance of adhering to official warnings.
Full List of Impacted Beaches
The NWS identified several beaches vulnerable to dangerous currents, high waves, and hazardous surf conditions.
Wisconsin Beach Warnings
- Kewaunee County
- Crescent Beach
- City of Kewaunee Beach
- Manitowoc County
- Point Beach
- Neshotah Beach
- Red Arrow Beach
- Door County
- Rock Island State Beach
- Baileys Harbor beaches
- Whitefish Dunes Beach
The National Weather Service expects high waves and dangerous currents from Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon, urging residents and visitors to stay out of the water.
Michigan
- Southern Schoolcraft County
- Lakeview Park
- Seul Choix Point
The Marquette NWS office warns that high wave action and strong rip currents will create life-threatening swimming conditions on Friday afternoon and evening. Forecasters note that similar wave setups have previously led to rescues and fatalities at these locations. “Waves in rapid succession can tire swimmers quickly,” the beach hazards statement explained. The agency advises people to remain out of the water until conditions improve.
The recent warnings come after a particularly active period for Great Lakes beach hazards. Earlier this week, the NWS issued beach hazard statements and swim advisories for shorelines on all five Great Lakes as a large weather system generated dangerous waves and currents across the region. Officials warned that conditions that can overwhelm swimmers may develop quickly, even when temperatures are warm, and skies are calm.
Beach safety experts say visitors often underestimate the Great Lakes because they are inland. Yet strong winds over extensive open water areas can create waves and currents comparable to those found along ocean coastlines.
How to Survive a Rip Current
Safety officials emphasize that avoiding panic is crucial when caught in a rip current. Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of water moving away from the shore. They occur when waves push water toward the beach, and the collected water flows back out through a concentrated path. While rip currents typically don’t pull swimmers underwater, they can swiftly carry them away from the shore, resulting in exhaustion, panic, and drowning.
Instead of swimming directly against the current toward shore, experts recommend conserving energy. The GLSRP suggests a simple strategy: “Flip, Float, and Follow.” This involves rolling onto your back, floating to save energy, and then following the current to assess the safest escape route.
If you can swim, move parallel to the shoreline instead of directly toward it. Once free from the current, angle gradually back to the shore. If escape isn’t possible, continue floating, conserve energy, and signal for help.
The NWS and water safety experts stress that the safest action when beach hazard statements are active is to stay out of the water entirely. Dangerous currents can form near piers, breakwalls, river mouths, and open beaches, and can quickly overpower experienced swimmers.
With lifeguards absent from many Great Lakes beaches after Labor Day and hazardous wave conditions forecasted into the weekend, officials urge visitors to check local forecasts before heading to the shore and take any beach hazard statement seriously.
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