146
WHCA42 TJSJ 190756
CFWSJU
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
356 AM AST THU FEB 19 2026
PRZ001-002-005-008-010-191600-
/O.NEW.TJSJ.SU.Y.0003.260219T1000Z-260220T2200Z/
/O.CON.TJSJ.RP.S.0008.000000T0000Z-260221T1000Z/
SAN JUAN AND VICINITY-NORTHEAST-NORTH CENTRAL-NORTHWEST-
MAYAGUEZ AND VICINITY-
356 AM AST THU FEB 19 2026
...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY
NIGHT...
..HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AST FRIDAY
* WHAT...LOCALIZED BEACH EROSION AND DANGEROUS SWIMMING
CONDITIONS DUE TO LARGE BREAKING WAVES.
* WHERE...THE MOST VULNERABLE AREAS FOR HIGH SURF AND BEACH
EROSION INCLUDE PINONES ALONG ROAD 187, PARCELAS SUAREZ, VILLAS
DEL MAR, AND VILLA CHRISTIANA IN LOIZA; FORTUNA IN LUQUILLO;
PUEBLO AND TAMARINDO IN AGUADILLA; BARRIO OBRERO, PUEBLO AND
JAREAITO IN ARECIBO; LAS BOCA IN BARCELONETA; MACHUCA IN MANATI;
PUERTO NUEVO IN VEGA BAJA; OCEAN PARK IN SAN JUAN; AND BARRIO
ESPINAL IN AGUADA.
* WHEN...FOR THE HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. FOR THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM AST
FRIDAY.
* IMPACTS...FOR THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY, HIGH WAVES THAT CAN WASH
OVER JETTIES AND SWEEP PEOPLE AND PETS ONTO JAGGED ROCKS.
ROUGH SURF MAY ALSO KNOCK YOU DOWN. LARGE BREAKING WAVES WILL
RESULT IN LOCALIZED BEACH/DUNE STRUCTURE EROSION AND DANGEROUS
SWIMMING CONDITIONS. FOR THE HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK, RIP
CURRENTS CAN SWEEP EVEN THE BEST SWIMMERS AWAY FROM SHORE INTO
DEEPER WATER, WHERE IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO RETURN TO SAFETY.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A LONG-PERIOD NORTHERLY SWELL IS
APPROACHING THE ATLANTIC BEACHES OF THE ISLANDS, EXPECTED TO
SPREAD ACROSS THE LOCAL WATERS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS
SWELL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LARGE BREAKING WAVES BETWEEN 6 AND
12 FEET, PARTICULARLY BY NOON TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. LARGE
BREAKING WAVES OF HIGH SURF ADVISORY CRITERIA WILL LIKELY REACH
THE NORTHERN COASTLINE BY MIDDAY TODAY. HOWEVER, STRONGER
PULSES OF THE SWELL CAN EVEN ARRIVE EARLIER. THEREFORE, THE HIGH
SURF ADVISORY WAS ISSUED STARTING EARLY TODAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.
RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE, WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS, JETTIES
AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS, BEACH PATROL FLAGS AND
SIGNS.
IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT, YELL FOR HELP. REMAIN
CALM, DO NOT EXHAUST YOURSELF AND STAY AFLOAT WHILE WAITING FOR
HELP. IF YOU HAVE TO SWIM OUT OF A RIP CURRENT, SWIM PARALLEL TO
SHORE AND BACK TOWARD THE BEACH WHEN POSSIBLE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT AS YOU WILL TIRE QUICKLY.
A HIGH SURF ADVISORY MEANS THAT HIGH SURF WILL AFFECT BEACHES IN
THE ADVISORY AREA, PRODUCING LOCALIZED BEACH EROSION AND
DANGEROUS SWIMMING CONDITIONS.
PRZ012-VIZ001-191600-
/O.CON.TJSJ.RP.S.0008.000000T0000Z-260221T1000Z/
CULEBRA-ST.THOMAS...ST. JOHN...AND ADJACENT ISLANDS-
356 AM AST THU FEB 19 2026
...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY
NIGHT...
* WHAT...LIFE-THREATENING RIP CURRENTS.
* WHERE...BEACHES OF CULEBRA, ST. THOMAS, AND ST. JOHN.
* WHEN...THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.
* IMPACTS...RIP CURRENTS CAN SWEEP EVEN THE BEST SWIMMERS AWAY
FROM SHORE INTO DEEPER WATER, WHERE IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO
RETURN TO SAFETY.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A LONG-PERIOD NORTHERLY SWELL IS
APPROACHING THE ATLANTIC BEACHES OF THE ISLANDS, EXPECTED TO
SPREAD ACROSS THE LOCAL WATERS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS
SWELL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LARGE BREAKING WAVES BETWEEN 6 AND
12 FEET, PARTICULARLY AFTER NOON THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A
HIGH SURF ADVISORY COULD BE ISSUED LATER TONIGHT OR TOMORROW FOR
SOME OF THESE AREAS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.
RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE, WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS, JETTIES
AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS, BEACH PATROL FLAGS AND
SIGNS.
IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT, YELL FOR HELP. REMAIN
CALM, DO NOT EXHAUST YOURSELF AND STAY AFLOAT WHILE WAITING FOR
HELP. IF YOU HAVE TO SWIM OUT OF A RIP CURRENT, SWIM PARALLEL TO
SHORE AND BACK TOWARD THE BEACH WHEN POSSIBLE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT AS YOU WILL TIRE QUICKLY.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page