Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2026
Rip Current Statement 3, NWS Tampa Bay, FL
NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this rip current statement at Jan 15, 2026, 12:10 AM EST for 6 counties in Florida. It took effect at Jan 15, 2026, 4:00 AM EST. It was in force for 33 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jan 15, 2026, 12:10 AM EST (05:10 UTC)
- In effect from
- Jan 15, 2026, 4:00 AM EST
- Expired
- Jan 16, 2026, 1:00 PM EST
- In force
- 33 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 05:09 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, 5.2 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1171 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 55 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 50 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 79 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
200 WHUS42 KTBW 150510 CFWTBW Coastal Hazard Message National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL 1210 AM EST Thu Jan 15 2026 FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-151315- /O.NEW.KTBW.RP.S.0003.260115T0900Z-260116T1800Z/ Pinellas-Coastal Hillsborough-Coastal Manatee-Coastal Sarasota- Coastal Charlotte-Coastal Lee- 1210 AM EST Thu Jan 15 2026 ...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM EST EARLY THIS MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected. * WHERE...Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, Coastal Charlotte and Coastal Lee Counties. * WHEN...From 4 AM EST early this morning through Friday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Swim near a lifeguard. 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. && $$
2 follow-up statements
150 WHUS42 KTBW 150931 CFWTBW Coastal Hazard Message National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL 431 AM EST Thu Jan 15 2026 FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-161800- /O.CON.KTBW.RP.S.0003.000000T0000Z-260116T1800Z/ Pinellas-Coastal Hillsborough-Coastal Manatee-Coastal Sarasota- Coastal Charlotte-Coastal Lee- 431 AM EST Thu Jan 15 2026 ...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Dangerous rip currents. * WHERE...Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, Coastal Charlotte and Coastal Lee Counties. * WHEN...Through Friday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help. && $$
033 WHUS42 KTBW 151721 CFWTBW Coastal Hazard Message National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL 1221 PM EST Thu Jan 15 2026 FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-161200- /O.CON.KTBW.RP.S.0003.000000T0000Z-260116T1800Z/ Pinellas-Coastal Hillsborough-Coastal Manatee-Coastal Sarasota- Coastal Charlotte-Coastal Lee- 1221 PM EST Thu Jan 15 2026 ...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Dangerous rip currents. * WHERE...Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, Coastal Charlotte and Coastal Lee Counties. * WHEN...Through Friday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Swim near a lifeguard. 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 Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 15, 12:02 AM EST | Cold Weather Advisory | TBW | Charlotte, Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands and 9 more | 33 hr |
| Jan 15, 12:02 AM EST | Freeze Warning | TBW | Charlotte, Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands and 6 more | 33 hr |
Nearby
Rip Current Statements in Florida, 2026Every rip current statement in 2026
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.