Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2015

Rip Current Statement 11, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

February 25, 20156 counties in Florida

NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this rip current statement at Feb 25, 2015, 10:01 PM EST for 6 counties in Florida. It was in force for 24 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 25, 2015, 10:01 PM EST (03:01 UTC)
Expired
Feb 26, 2015, 10:00 PM EST
In force
24 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 03:02 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, 3.0 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 2015-02-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 52 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 00:00Z on 2015-02-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 309 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
52 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-188 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
827 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
309 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
416 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

101 
WHUS42 KTBW 260301
CFWTBW

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
1001 PM EST WED FEB 25 2015

...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS FOR AREA BEACHES THROUGH
THURSDAY MORNING...

.BREEZY ONSHORE WINDS WILL INCREASE THE RIP CURRENT RISK ALONG
AREA BEACHES THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.

FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-261515-
/O.NEW.KTBW.RP.S.0011.150226T0301Z-150226T1600Z/
PINELLAS-COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA-
COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-
1001 PM EST WED FEB 25 2015

...RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...

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

* TIMING...THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING

* IMPACTS...INCREASING RIP OF 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
2 follow-up statements
662 
WHUS42 KTBW 260843
CFWTBW

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
343 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015

...HIGH SURF AND HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS FOR AREA BEACHES
THROUGH THIS EVENING...

.LARGE WAVES OVER THE GULF WILL PROPAGATE TOWARD THE COAST TODAY
THEN SUBSIDE IN THE EVENING.

FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-270300-
/O.NEW.KTBW.SU.Y.0005.150226T0900Z-150227T0300Z/
/O.EXT.KTBW.RP.S.0011.000000T0000Z-150227T0300Z/
PINELLAS-COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA-
COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-
343 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING...

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

* WAVES AND SURF...WAVES OF 10 FEET WILL GENERATE SURF OF 4 TO 6
  FEET TODAY.

* TIMING...THROUGH THIS EVENING.

* IMPACTS...HIGH SURF AND DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL CREATE
  HAZARDOUS SWIMMING CONDITIONS.

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
233 
WHUS42 KTBW 270255
CFWTBW

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
955 PM EST THU FEB 26 2015

...HIGH SURF ADVISORY AND RIP CURRENT RISK WILL EXPIRE AT 10 PM
EST... 

.WINDS HAVE TURNED TO THE NORTH AND WEAKENED AND SEA SWELLS HAVE
DIMINISHED ALLOWING THE HIGH SURF AND RIP CURRENT RISK TO EXPIRE.

FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-270400-
/O.EXP.KTBW.SU.Y.0005.000000T0000Z-150227T0300Z/
/O.EXP.KTBW.RP.S.0011.000000T0000Z-150227T0300Z/
PINELLAS-COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA-
COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-
955 PM EST THU FEB 26 2015

...HIGH SURF ADVISORY WILL EXPIRE AT 10 PM EST THIS EVENING...
...RIP CURRENT RISK WILL EXPIRE AT 10 PM EST THIS EVENING...

WINDS HAVE TURNED TO THE NORTH AND WEAKENED AND SEA SWELLS HAVE
DIMINISHED LOWERING THE HIGH SURF AND RIP CURRENT RISKS.

$$


HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TAMPA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 26, 1:08 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningTBW112 min
Feb 26, 1:10 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementTBWCitrus, Levy50 min
Feb 26, 1:27 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWLevy18 min
Feb 26, 1:50 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningTBW55 min
Feb 26, 2:07 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementTBWCitrus38 min
Feb 26, 2:26 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementTBWHernando, Pasco, Sumter64 min
Feb 26, 2:42 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningTBW63 min
Feb 26, 3:27 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningTBW63 min
Feb 26, 3:43 AM ESTHigh Surf AdvisoryTBWCharlotte, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, Sarasota18 hr
Feb 26, 4:40 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementTBWPolk35 min

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.