Rip Current Statement 11, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

Issued

Dec 15, 2013, 5:27 AM EST (10:27 UTC)

In effect from

Dec 15, 2013, 7:00 AM EST

Expired

Dec 15, 2013, 7:00 PM EST

In force

12 hr

Issued by

NWS Tampa Bay, FL

Counties Hillsborough County, FL, Manatee County, FL, Pinellas County, FL, Sarasota County, FL

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 11 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:28 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.

000 
WHUS42 KTBW 151027
CFWTBW

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
527 AM EST SUN DEC 15 2013

...RIP CURRENT RISK IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM EST THIS EVENING...

.WINDS SHIFTING TO NORTHWESTERLY BY THE END OF THE DAY WILL HAVE
ENOUGH OF A ROBUST ONSHORE COMPONENT TO PRODUCE A MODERATE RISK OF
RIP CURRENTS.

FLZ050-151-155-160-160000-
/O.NEW.KTBW.RP.S.0011.131215T1200Z-131216T0000Z/
PINELLAS-COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA-
527 AM EST SUN DEC 15 2013

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAMPA BAY RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A RIP
CURRENT RISK...WHICH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING. 

* TIMING...A MODERATE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS WILL BE IN PLACE
  THROUGH 7 PM THIS EVENING.

* IMPACTS...BREAKING WAVES AND STRONG SHORE PARALLEL CURRENTS WILL
  RESULT IN AN ELEVATED RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS WHICH CAN PULL EVEN
  STRONG SWIMMERS OUT INTO DEEPER WATER. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 GROINS...
JETTIES AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH
PATROL. PAY ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS. 

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.

&&

$$


HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TAMPA

Rip Current Statements in Florida, 2013Every rip current statement in 2013

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.