28 DECEMBER 2019 - ROGUE WAVES REVISITED.....
Hazardous Weather Conditions
I posted here on MVSOFEA.COM about rogue/sneaker waves on January 31, and, again on March 25, 2019 (click to open) … and, here is a third post.
We have been at the very center of the 350 mile long Oregon Coastline for four years now, in different harbors, Reedsport, Florence and Yachats, a 50 mile stretch known as shipwreck alley, there is a light house at each end.
It is very windy here year around, impossible to BBQ on board, with Northerly winds all summer then Southerly winds all winter (some think it rains a lot here as well), it never freezes, we have no mosquitos, the air is cleansed by ocean spray, wild life is abundant and there are very few people.
We have only "heard" the ocean five or so times during those four years, two of which were this week, the roar from high wave action is matching the alert above.
You can drive along the 350 miles of the rugged coast and it is all open to the public, you can watch killer and gray whales swimming by, the crabbing, clamming and fishing is great, the water always hovers around 50 degrees F. where thermal shock and
hypothermia can occur quickly.
This is simply one of the most alluring sites in all of nature, and it’s all free !
The ocean surf whips to a froth by the winter storms and can create awe-inspiring sights that attract tens of thousands of tourists who visit our beaches.
But the sights can turn deadly quickly, tourists come to the beach thinking it’s laid back, romantic and restful, they are not aware of how random sneaker waves can surprise you by rolling logs, and lifting other debris ashore that crush or entrap victims underneath, or about high wave run-ups coming ashore that knock people over and drag them out to sea, or even knowing what a rogue wave is;
There are no hard statistics on just how many people are killed or injured (or even rescued) along the Oregon coast each year, but, on average, about 100 people die each year along West coast beaches, while playing, standing or walking/hiking on the beach along coastal access spots.
Locals ‘know” about about the high number of deaths and many rescues needed on Oregon beaches due to sneaker waves, especially in winter, so, you will see warning signs posted all along all of the public beaches.