The National Weather Service Issued a Warning About Florida’s Coastline and Beaches

Travelers on Florida’s Atlantic coast should be careful of rip currents, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The NWS released a warning last week about the threat of rip currents on the Atlantic coast of Florida. While the warning is no longer active, parts of the coast are still high-risk for rip currents and it’s important to visitors to Florida’s beaches and coastline to be aware of the risks of rip currents. At the time of publication, the NWS' has designated parts of South Florida (Miami, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Coral Springs, and Pompano Beach) as high risk. Other high-risk areas are Pensacola and Tallahassee.

Its website regularly updates the risk of rip currents on the Florida coast day-by-day. Travelers can visit weather.gov for real-time updates.

“Remember that rip current awareness is something we should all practice, BEFORE our feet hit the sand!” the NWS website states on its page of Rip Current Awareness Week. “This includes all residents that visit the beach, not just those that live along the coast.”

Rip currents are very powerful, narrow flows of water that have the ability to quickly pull swimmers away from the shore. They are more easily spotted from above, and swimmers caught unaware can be unexpectedly overwhelmed by the fast-moving water. Rip currents cause more deaths annually than tornadoes or hurricanes. The NWS recommends that beachgoers should only swim at beaches with lifeguards, if possible.

If a swimmer gets caught in a rip current, the NWS recommends that swimmer first relax, and don’t attempt to swim against the current, which can be strong and use up a swimmer’s energy. “Do NOT try to swim directly to shore. Swim along the shoreline until you escape the current's pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore,” the NWS website advises. “If you feel you can't reach shore, relax, face the shore, and call or wave for help.”

A few people have already drowned this season due to rip currents, including an army veteran who was saving his son and niece from a rip.