Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2012

Rip Current Statement 5, NWS Melbourne, FL

September 4, 2012Volusia County, Florida

NWS Melbourne, FL issued this rip current statement at Sep 4, 2012, 3:56 AM EDT for Volusia County, Florida. It was in force for 67 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 4, 2012, 3:56 AM EDT (07:56 UTC)
Expired
Sep 6, 2012, 11:00 PM EDT
In force
67 hr
Issued by
NWS Melbourne, FL

County Volusia County, FL

The radar

The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 116 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:58 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Jacksonville, FL (KJAX), launched 00:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 168 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Jacksonville, FL at 00:00Z on 2012-09-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1331 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Jacksonville, FL at 00:00Z on 2012-09-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -9 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1331 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-22 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
892 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
4 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-9 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

017 
WHUS42 KMLB 040756
CFWMLB

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
356 AM EDT TUE SEP 4 2012

...DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS EXPECTED TODAY...

.LONG PERIOD SWELLS FROM DISTANT TROPICAL CYCLONE LESLIE WERE
REACHING THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA BEACHES. THIS USUALLY GENERATES
STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

FLZ047-054-059-064-141-147-050900-
/O.NEW.KMLB.RP.S.0005.120904T0800Z-120905T0900Z/
SOUTHERN BREVARD-INDIAN RIVER-ST. LUCIE-MARTIN-COASTAL VOLUSIA-
NORTHERN BREVARD-
356 AM EDT TUE SEP 4 2012

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED A HIGH RIP
CURRENT RISK...WHICH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. 

* TIMING...THE STRONGEST RIP CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR
  THROUGH ABOUT 8 AM...THEN BETWEEN ABOUT 2 PM AND 8 PM DUE TO
  TIDAL EFFECTS.

* IMPACTS...WINDS WILL BE RATHER LIGHT SO THE OCEAN WILL LOOK
  RATHER INVITING. HOWEVER THE LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL GENERATE
  STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

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 JETTIES AND
PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY
ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS. ONLY SWIM IN THE OCEAN NEAR A
LIFEGUARD.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM
AND BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE. ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE
FORCE OF THE RIP CURRENT...BEGIN TO SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO
NOT ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG
SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY.

&&

$$

RL
2 follow-up statements
237 
WHUS42 KMLB 050804
CFWMLB

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
404 AM EDT WED SEP 5 2012

...DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS EXPECTED TODAY...

.LONG PERIOD SWELLS FROM DISTANT TROPICAL CYCLONE LESLIE WERE
REACHING THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA BEACHES. THIS USUALLY GENERATES
STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

FLZ047-054-059-064-141-147-060900-
/O.EXT.KMLB.RP.S.0005.000000T0000Z-120906T0900Z/
SOUTHERN BREVARD-INDIAN RIVER-ST. LUCIE-MARTIN-COASTAL VOLUSIA-
NORTHERN BREVARD-
404 AM EDT WED SEP 5 2012

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

* TIMING...THE STRONGEST RIP CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR 
  THROUGH ABOUT 9 AM...THEN BETWEEN 3 PM AND 9 PM DUE TO TIDAL
  EFFECTS. 

* IMPACTS...WINDS WILL BE RATHER LIGHT SO THE OCEAN WILL LOOK 
  INVITING. HOWEVER THE LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL GENERATE STRONG
  RIP CURRENTS. 

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 JETTIES AND
PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY
ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS. ONLY SWIM IN THE OCEAN NEAR
A LIFEGUARD.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM
AND BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE. ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE
FORCE OF THE RIP CURRENT...BEGIN TO SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO
NOT ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG
SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY.

&&

$$

67
643 
WHUS42 KMLB 060818
CFWMLB

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
418 AM EDT THU SEP 6 2012

...DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS EXPECTED TODAY...

.LONG PERIOD SWELLS FROM DISTANT TROPICAL CYCLONE LESLIE WERE
REACHING THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA BEACHES. THIS USUALLY GENERATES
STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

FLZ047-054-059-064-141-147-070300-
/O.EXT.KMLB.RP.S.0005.000000T0000Z-120907T0300Z/
SOUTHERN BREVARD-INDIAN RIVER-ST. LUCIE-MARTIN-COASTAL VOLUSIA-
NORTHERN BREVARD-
418 AM EDT THU SEP 6 2012

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...

* TIMING...THE STRONGEST RIP CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR MID TO
  LATE AFTERNOON DUE TO TIDAL EFFECTS.

* IMPACTS...WINDS WILL BE LIGHT SO THE OCEAN WILL LOOK INVITING. 
  HOWEVER THE LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL GENERATE STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

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 JETTIES AND
PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY
ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS. ONLY SWIM IN THE OCEAN NEAR
A LIFEGUARD.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM
AND BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE. ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE
FORCE OF THE RIP CURRENT...BEGIN TO SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO
NOT ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG
SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY.

&&

$$

67

The office that day

Everything else NWS Melbourne, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 4, 6:32 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBMartin58 min

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Florida, 2012Every rip current statement in 2012

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.