Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2015

Rip Current Statement 10, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

February 18, 20156 counties in Florida

NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this rip current statement at Feb 18, 2015, 3:29 AM EST for 6 counties in Florida. It took effect at Feb 18, 2015, 7:00 AM EST. It was in force for 36 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 18, 2015, 3:29 AM EST (08:29 UTC)
In effect from
Feb 18, 2015, 7:00 AM EST
Expired
Feb 19, 2015, 7:00 PM EST
In force
36 hr
Issued by
NWS Tampa Bay, FL

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

The radar

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:29 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

Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 00:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 43 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 00:00Z on 2015-02-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 00:00Z on 2015-02-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -245 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
667 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-245 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-110 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.

166 
WHUS42 KTBW 180829
CFWTBW

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
329 AM EST WED FEB 18 2015

FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-200000-
/O.NEW.KTBW.RP.S.0010.150218T1200Z-150220T0000Z/
PINELLAS-COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA-
COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-
329 AM EST WED FEB 18 2015

...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A RIP CURRENT
RISK...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM EST THIS MORNING THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING.

* TIMING...THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.

* IMPACTS...STRONGER AND MORE FREQUENT RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA
  BEACHES. 

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
3 follow-up statements
956 
WHUS42 KTBW 182004
CFWTBW

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
304 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015

FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-191000-
/O.NEW.KTBW.SU.Y.0004.150219T0300Z-150220T0000Z/
/O.CON.KTBW.RP.S.0010.000000T0000Z-150220T0000Z/
PINELLAS-COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA-
COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-
304 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015

...RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING...
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM
EST THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAMPA BAY RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A
HIGH SURF ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING
TO 7 PM EST THURSDAY. 

* WAVES AND SURF...SURF WILL BEGIN TO BUILD LATE TONIGHT AND
  REMAIN ELEVATED INTO THE DAY ON THURSDAY. 

* TIMING...THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.

* IMPACTS...STRONGER AND MORE FREQUENT RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA 
  BEACHES. 

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.

A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN DANGEROUS WATER ACTION IS
EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST.  THIS INCLUDES ROUGH SURF...LARGE
BREAKING WAVES...RIP CURRENTS...AND STRONG UNDERTOW.

BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO HEED LIFEGUARD WARNINGS.

&&

$$


HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TAMPA
107 
WHUS42 KTBW 190858
CFWTBW

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
358 AM EST THU FEB 19 2015

FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-200000-
/O.CON.KTBW.SU.Y.0004.000000T0000Z-150220T0000Z/
/O.CON.KTBW.RP.S.0010.000000T0000Z-150220T0000Z/
PINELLAS-COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA-
COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-
358 AM EST THU FEB 19 2015

...HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING...
...RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...

* WAVES AND SURF...STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CREATE HIGH SURF
  ALONG AREA BEACHES ALONG WITH A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.

* TIMING...THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING.

* IMPACTS...HIGH SURF AND DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED ALONG
  AREA BEACHES.

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.

A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN DANGEROUS WATER ACTION IS
EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST.  THIS INCLUDES ROUGH SURF...LARGE
BREAKING WAVES...RIP CURRENTS...AND STRONG UNDERTOW.

BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO HEED LIFEGUARD WARNINGS.

&&

$$


HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TAMPA
351 
WHUS42 KTBW 200005
CFWTBW

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
705 PM EST THU FEB 19 2015

...HIGH SURF AND RIP CURRENT RISK DIMINISHING...

.GUSTY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH AND SHIFT TO
THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT.

FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-200115-
/O.EXP.KTBW.SU.Y.0004.000000T0000Z-150220T0000Z/
/O.EXP.KTBW.RP.S.0010.000000T0000Z-150220T0000Z/
PINELLAS-COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA-
COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-
705 PM EST THU FEB 19 2015

...HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS EXPIRED...
...RIP CURRENT RISK HAS EXPIRED...

THERE IS STILL AN ENHANCED RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ALONG
THE BEACHES AS WINDS CONTINUE FROM THE NORTHWEST. WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO SHIFT TO A MORE OFFSHORE DIRECTION BY MIDNIGHT. WILL
ALLOW THE ADVISORIES TO EXPIRE BUT SOME RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE
THIS EVENING.

$$

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TAMPA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 17, 9:00 PM ESTSmall Craft AdvisoryTBW48 hr
Feb 18, 3:18 AM ESTFreeze WatchTBWCharlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee and 4 more24 hr
Feb 18, 3:18 AM ESTFreeze WarningTBWCitrus, Hernando, Levy, Sumter30 hr
Feb 18, 3:18 AM ESTHard Freeze WatchTBWCitrus, Hernando, Levy, Pasco, Sumter24 hr
Feb 18, 3:25 AM ESTWind Chill AdvisoryTBWCharlotte, Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands and 9 more30 hr
Feb 18, 3:04 PM ESTHigh Surf AdvisoryTBWCharlotte, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, Sarasota28 hr

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Florida, 2015Every rip current statement in 2015

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.