Rip Current Statement 5, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

Issued

Jan 24, 2015, 3:00 AM EST (08:00 UTC)

Expired

Jan 25, 2015, 1:00 AM EST

In force

22 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 Tampa radar (KTBW), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:03 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.

102 
WHUS42 KTBW 240800
CFWTBW

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
300 AM EST SAT JAN 24 2015

...HIGH SURF AND RIP CURRENTS EXPECTED BEHIND A COLD FRONT ALONG
THE BEACHES OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY...

.STRONG WINDS BEHIND A COLD FRONT WILL ALLOW HIGH SURF TO BUILD.
THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL INCREASE ALONG AREA BEACHES TODAY.
WINDS AND WAVES SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH LATE TONIGHT.

FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-250600-
/O.NEW.KTBW.SU.Y.0002.150124T0800Z-150125T0600Z/
/O.NEW.KTBW.RP.S.0005.150124T0800Z-150125T0600Z/
PINELLAS-COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA-
COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-
300 AM EST SAT JAN 24 2015

...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST SUNDAY...
...RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A HIGH SURF
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST SUNDAY. A RIP CURRENT
RISK HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED. THIS RIP CURRENT RISK IS IN EFFECT
THROUGH LATE TONIGHT.

* WAVES AND SURF...NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH...WITH HIGHER
  GUSTS...WILL BUILD SURF TO AROUND 5 FEET TODAY.

* TIMING...SURF WILL BUILD BEHIND A COLD FRONT TODAY BEFORE
  DIMINISHING LATE OVERNIGHT.

* IMPACTS...ROUGH SURF AND A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ARE 
  EXPECTED ALONG AREA BEACHES THROUGH LATE TONIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

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, 2015Every rip current statement in 2015

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.