Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2025

Rip Current Statement 21, NWS Melbourne, FL

September 17, 2025Martin County, Saint Lucie County, Florida

NWS Melbourne, FL issued this rip current statement at Sep 17, 2025, 10:30 AM EDT for Martin County, Saint Lucie County, Florida. It was in force for 42 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 17, 2025, 10:30 AM EDT (14:30 UTC)
Expired
Sep 19, 2025, 4:00 AM EDT
In force
42 hr
Issued by
NWS Melbourne, FL

Counties Martin County, FL, Saint Lucie County, FL

The radar

The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:31 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

Cape Canaveral, FL (KXMR), launched 12:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 138 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, Cape Canaveral, FL at 12:00Z on 2025-09-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1011 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Cape Canaveral, FL at 12:00Z on 2025-09-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -36 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1011 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
674 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-36 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.1
Supercell composite
-0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

970 
WHUS42 KMLB 171430
CFWMLB

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Melbourne FL
1030 AM EDT Wed Sep 17 2025

FLZ159-164-172230-
/O.NEW.KMLB.RP.S.0021.250917T1430Z-250918T0800Z/
Coastal Saint Lucie-Coastal Martin-
1030 AM EDT Wed Sep 17 2025

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Coastal Saint Lucie and Coastal Martin Counties.

* WHEN...Through late tonight.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore 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 jetties and
piers. Heed the advice of lifeguards, beach patrol flags and
signs.

Entering the surf is strongly discouraged. If caught in a rip
current, relax and float. Don't swim against the current. If
able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to
escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
486 
WHUS42 KMLB 172135
CFWMLB

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Melbourne FL
535 PM EDT Wed Sep 17 2025

FLZ159-164-180800-
/O.CON.KMLB.RP.S.0021.000000T0000Z-250918T0800Z/
Coastal Saint Lucie-Coastal Martin-
535 PM EDT Wed Sep 17 2025

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EDT
THURSDAY...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Coastal Saint Lucie and Coastal Martin Counties.

* WHEN...Until 4 AM EDT Thursday.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore 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 jetties and
piers. Heed the advice of lifeguards, beach patrol flags and
signs.

Entering the surf is strongly discouraged. If caught in a rip
current, relax and float. Don't swim against the current. If
able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to
escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$
045 
WHUS42 KMLB 180538
CFWMLB

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Melbourne FL
138 AM EDT Thu Sep 18 2025

FLZ159-164-190800-
/O.EXT.KMLB.RP.S.0021.000000T0000Z-250919T0800Z/
Coastal Saint Lucie-Coastal Martin-
138 AM EDT Thu Sep 18 2025

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Coastal Saint Lucie and Coastal Martin Counties.

* WHEN...Through late tonight.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore 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 jetties and
piers. Heed the advice of lifeguards, beach patrol flags and
signs.

Entering the surf is strongly discouraged. If caught in a rip
current, relax and float. Don't swim against the current. If
able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to
escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 17, 4:24 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMLBOsceola96 min
Sep 17, 5:13 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMLBOsceola92 min

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Florida, 2025Every rip current statement in 2025

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.