Contact: Stephanie Kenitzer FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(301)-713-0622 06/9/95
Elizabeth Gillelan
(410)-267-5660
Valerie Thompson
(202)-482-1162
As hundreds of swimmers participate in the 4.4 mile Chesapeake Bay Swim for the March of Dimes on June 11, information collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about weather, water temperature, tides and currents will help them meet the challenge more safely and assess the risks of the open water swim.
Race organizers will use the NOAA information to adjust the start time, thus minimizing the effects of the currents and potential thunderstorms and making the swimmers' open water swim against the elements of the bay as safe and rewarding an experience as possible. NOAA's National Weather Service will provide forecasts and warnings. National Ocean Service has predicted a decreasing ebb tide for the race start and slack tide around 2:45 p.m. The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, part of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), is coordinating the NOAA information for the swimmers and race staff. This office is the focal point for all of NOAA's Chesapeake Bay efforts and works closely with the state/federal partnership, known as the Chesapeake Bay Program, designed to protect and restore Bay resources.
As in past years, NOAA personnel, with support from Maryland Geological Survey and University of Maryland/Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies, will take to the water the day before the race to measure real-time current velocities, towing an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). Towing the ADCP and monitoring of the NOAA real- time tide station in Annapolis will provide estimates of how much deviation from the predicted tides and currents can be expected the day of the race.
In a partnership to quickly and reliably communicate the NOAA information to race coordinators and federal scientists, IN-TOUCH USA has donated use of cellular phones and a cellular phone-facsimile machine. In addition, some interpretation of NOS tidal current and NWS wind predictions was provided by "BE-CURRENT", a small business from Maryland that assesses NOS currents for sailboat and other races. Scientists at the University of Maryland will provide assessment of tidal current predictions by using data from the Chesapeake Bay Observing System (CBOS) buoy data. CBOS buoys, funded by NOAA, are located north and south of the Bay Bridge.
The annual event has drawn hundreds of swimmers in past years who endeavor to cross the bay from Sandy Point State Park to Kent Island, a stretch parallel to the Bay Bridge.
Last year, the currents were almost twice as strong as in 1993. Even so, 561 participants plunged into 71 degree water for the 4.4 mile race with 542 completing the swim. When NOAA became involved with the event for the first time in 1993, 504 out of a field of 521 swimmers finished the race. In 1992, swimmers encountered strong currents, and scores had to be saved from the rushing waters. Only 48 of the 331 entrants finished. In 1991, 720 swimmers out of 884 were swept away by the strong currents and had to be taken from the water by rescue boats. The currents this year are weaker than in 1991 and 1992, but are stronger than the past two years. Swimmers may face currents of .75 knots before slack tide on the race course occurs around 2:45 p.m.
This year will be the first time the race is under threat of afternoon thunderstorms. By providing the most detailed and accurate information possible on currents and weather, NOAA will help prepare swimmers for the conditions they face and assist their decisions to challenge the elements.
The race is scheduled to start during the latter part of a strong ebb tide (1.0 knot maximum) as compared to last year's race, which was at the end of a strong flood tide (1.1 knots maximum), and stark contrast to the 1993 benign conditions when the slack water moved from west to east at about the same speed as the slower swimmers.
If strong north winds occur before and during the race, the ebb current will most likely become even stronger. Swimmers and organizers will be keeping an eye to the sky or an ear to NOAA weather radio in anticipation of changing weather.