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 | North Carolina Warnings or Dangers | Tips 1 - 10 of 28 |  |
Rip currents are very common along the North Carolina coast. A rip current is a current created from the ocean cutting a narrow channel through a sand bar. The force of the water going through this channel is tremendous, but weakens as it goes out. If you feel yourself being pulled out to sea, follow these directions:
First, drift with the current. Look toward shore to see which way you are moving. NEVER I repeat, NEVER SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT!!! THIS IS HOW AND WHY PEOPLE DROWN!!! People tire from this, so don't do it.
Second, swim in the direction the water is moving, and swim diagonally toward the shore. You will be out in no time.
Third, when in doubt, always swim near a lifeguard. Leave a Comment
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Highest crime rate in the nation per capita. I was a police officer here for 6 years and know the ins and outs of Durham. 150 known gangs and over 350 known gang members as of 2003. It has probably gone up since then. Crime is out of control, and is very widespread. If you go, go to Duke University, then Southpointe Mall, spend the day there, and leave. There is nothing else in Durham, really, except the Durham Bulls Baseball Team (A must see)! I knew of about 5 to 6 armed robberies a night, even on the GOOD side of town! If you go, don't go anywhere at night. Leave a Comment
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Growing up in coastal North Carolina, I had the privledge (or curse) of riding out 4 hurricanes. My suggestion is, do not do it. If you are on vacation here and you hear a hurricane watch or warning, please heed it wholeheartedly. The damage done by these storms can be catastrophic. I was in Hurricane Fran in 1996, and it was by far the worst experience I have ever had in my entire life. The picture you see here was taken after Fran. You can see the fishing pier split in two and debris all over the beach. Also take note of the erosion along the jettys. If you look closely to the left of the front jetty, you can see the erosion from the storm surge (water level at the time of the storm). More than half of the dunes are gone. Leave a Comment
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OK, if you are allergic to bee stings, you do not want to get stung by one of these. Between the two, the Portuguese Man-Of-War is by far the worst. They are most noticable by their bright blue ballon-like body. The tentacles are very long. You can be swimming in the surf and get stung by a Portuguese Man-Of-War without it touching you, because the tentacles can break off and float elsewhere. The regular "cabbage head" jellyfish are less dangerous, but the stings are still painful. See the General Tips on how to treat a jellyfish sting. Leave a Comment
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Be very careful of the undertow, it can sneak up on you and take you down the beach a stretch. Don't panic just swim even with the shore until you come out of it. Don't try to swim againt it, you will tier out quick. There are life guards on duty during the season. Leave a Comment
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Please don’t think you can cover the 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway in a day! This isn’t a highway but a rural road, albeit a well-maintained and very well-known one. You need to be aware of tight, spiralling curves – these help make the Parkway special, but can catch an unobservant motorist (or motorcyclist) off guard. There are also 26 tunnels to look out for. There are posted speed limits, which vary according to the nature of that specific stretch of road (i.e. slower at bends) and you’ll need to drive especially slowly during rainy or foggy conditions, and watch out for wildlife. Also, as this is such a popular destination, you should be aware that it’s travelled by many RVs which can’t manoeuvre very easily on this twisting road so you may have to be patient – and if you’re driving an RV do show consideration for others and pull over to let them past when it’s safe to do so.
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This road sometimes gets so foggy that you cannot see 5 feet in front of your vehicle. It took us hours one time to get from one town to the next.
If you are not sightseeing, or going to a specific trail on the Parkway, I would drive on a regular road if you plan on getting anywhere fast.
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The soil in the Carolinas is often a red clay that will stain your clothes, so watch your step. As a result of the abundance of this clay, you'll notice that brick is widely used as a building material. Leave a Comment
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I don't know if it's a common thing or if I was just unlucky on the morning of 18 December 2001, but my security agent was as dumb as a bag of hammers. He concentrated more on the size of the bag rather than its contents. I outsmarted him by just pushing my bag through the machine and moving on. It's not really a danger, but be prepared for security agents at RDU with either low IQs, no common sense, or both. Leave a Comment
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Be very careful in the beaches due to the increase in shark attacks as of late. Other than that, North Carolina is generally a monotnous state. Very similar to most states in the this regard. Leave a Comment
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