High Surf — Southwest Suffolk, New York

2003-05-18 · Southwest Suffolk, New York

Wider weather episode

On May 18th, 2003 at around 11:30 am EDT, a 22-foot boat capsized in rough seas about 1/4 mile west off Moriches Inlet resulting in 3 deaths.An unusually strong high pressure system over New England combined with a weak low pressure system well east of the Southern Mid Atlantic Coast caused persistent northeast winds and rough seas leading up to this event.Buoy 44017, about 23 miles southwest of Montauk Point, measured a wind velocity of northeast at 10, gusting to 12 knots with a wave height of 5.9 feet at 11 am. Buoy 44025, about 20 miles southwest of Fire Island Inlet, also measured a wave height of 5.9 feet, mainly an ESE swell at 11 am.Antecedent conditions during May 16th and 17th included northeast winds averaging near 25 knots with gusts near 30 knots and wave heights to 9 feet at Buoy 44017. At Buoy 44025, wave heights peaked at 12 feet near 8 pm on May 16th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5355288. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.