Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Hurricane Fabian Appears to be Losing Steam
Aired September 06, 2003 - 07:54 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A weekend hurricane, Fabian, is over the open waters of the Atlantic and appears to be losing steam, which is a good thing.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed. But still, the storm remains a danger to residents along the eastern portion of the United States. People have been going to the beach, but warning signs are up.
Joining us on the big board here in the CNN newsroom to talk about that is our meteorologist, Rob Marciano -- good morning again to you, Rob.
And people are going to be out there. Let's hope we don't have to videos on these people later on in the day.
ROB MARCIANO, METEOROLOGIST: Well, that's why we're here to tell you about it. Labor Day in some parts of the country was a washout last week and as we head towards this weekend, those same folks will see some nice weather. So it may very well draw people to the beaches.
But as Hurricane Fabian heads out to the sea, it's not going to hit the U.S., but its effects may very well affect people up and down the eastern seaboard.
Here's more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO (voice-over): They're sneaky and they're deadly. Each year in the U.S., dozens of beachgoers fall victim to their awesome power. No, they're not sharks, but rip currents.
JIM LUSHINE, NOAA: We average about 100 drownings a year in the United States from rip currents.
MARCIANO: Also known as rip tides, they form when strong winds and waves force massive amounts of water toward the coast, where it gets trapped behind the sandbars close to shore. And as the water forces its way back out to sea, it digs a narrow channel through the sand, causing a rip current. They are found worldwide and can occur at any time during the year. And although storms make them more powerful, it only takes a strong, steady breeze to cause one to develop.
LUSHINE: In Miami and south Florida, we get rip currents here in the wintertime and other times when there's no hurricanes. When the wind blows strongly directly onshore, that's when the rip currents will form.
MARCIANO: Experts warn swimmers that although rip currents are only about 10 to 30 yards wide, they can flow as fast as three feet per second, making it difficult for even the strongest swimmers to escape.
LUSHINE: If you fight the rip current and go directly against it, you're going to get tired and perhaps drown.
MARCIANO: They urge caution and say that swimmers should check the surf advisories, either at the beach or on the Web before they enter the water to avoid being ripped away by this silent killer.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: All right, well, let's take a look at where Fabian is. It's hard to believe, as far offshore as it is, that it's going to be causing big waves up and down the eastern seaboard.
Here's Bermuda. It's already 275 miles clear of that. But the biggest waves are going to be felt right along the Carolina seaboard with waves possibly six to 12 feet and then, of course, those rip currents will be, you know, pulling people out to sea, if you're not aware of them and swim out.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 6, 2003 - 07:54 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A weekend hurricane, Fabian, is over the open waters of the Atlantic and appears to be losing steam, which is a good thing.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed. But still, the storm remains a danger to residents along the eastern portion of the United States. People have been going to the beach, but warning signs are up.
Joining us on the big board here in the CNN newsroom to talk about that is our meteorologist, Rob Marciano -- good morning again to you, Rob.
And people are going to be out there. Let's hope we don't have to videos on these people later on in the day.
ROB MARCIANO, METEOROLOGIST: Well, that's why we're here to tell you about it. Labor Day in some parts of the country was a washout last week and as we head towards this weekend, those same folks will see some nice weather. So it may very well draw people to the beaches.
But as Hurricane Fabian heads out to the sea, it's not going to hit the U.S., but its effects may very well affect people up and down the eastern seaboard.
Here's more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO (voice-over): They're sneaky and they're deadly. Each year in the U.S., dozens of beachgoers fall victim to their awesome power. No, they're not sharks, but rip currents.
JIM LUSHINE, NOAA: We average about 100 drownings a year in the United States from rip currents.
MARCIANO: Also known as rip tides, they form when strong winds and waves force massive amounts of water toward the coast, where it gets trapped behind the sandbars close to shore. And as the water forces its way back out to sea, it digs a narrow channel through the sand, causing a rip current. They are found worldwide and can occur at any time during the year. And although storms make them more powerful, it only takes a strong, steady breeze to cause one to develop.
LUSHINE: In Miami and south Florida, we get rip currents here in the wintertime and other times when there's no hurricanes. When the wind blows strongly directly onshore, that's when the rip currents will form.
MARCIANO: Experts warn swimmers that although rip currents are only about 10 to 30 yards wide, they can flow as fast as three feet per second, making it difficult for even the strongest swimmers to escape.
LUSHINE: If you fight the rip current and go directly against it, you're going to get tired and perhaps drown.
MARCIANO: They urge caution and say that swimmers should check the surf advisories, either at the beach or on the Web before they enter the water to avoid being ripped away by this silent killer.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: All right, well, let's take a look at where Fabian is. It's hard to believe, as far offshore as it is, that it's going to be causing big waves up and down the eastern seaboard.
Here's Bermuda. It's already 275 miles clear of that. But the biggest waves are going to be felt right along the Carolina seaboard with waves possibly six to 12 feet and then, of course, those rip currents will be, you know, pulling people out to sea, if you're not aware of them and swim out.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
