Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2026
Rip Current Statement 4, NWS Tampa Bay, FL
NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this rip current statement at Jan 17, 2026, 7:21 PM EST for 6 counties in Florida. It took effect at Jan 18, 2026, 11:00 AM EST. It was in force for 24 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jan 17, 2026, 7:21 PM EST (00:21 UTC)
- In effect from
- Jan 18, 2026, 11:00 AM EST
- Expired
- Jan 19, 2026, 11:00 AM 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 00:20 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, 0.4 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
- 1813 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 56 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 32 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 90 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
581 WHUS42 KTBW 180021 CFWTBW Coastal Hazard Message National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL 721 PM EST Sat Jan 17 2026 FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-191600- /O.NEW.KTBW.SU.Y.0001.260118T1600Z-260119T1600Z/ /O.NEW.KTBW.RP.S.0004.260118T1600Z-260119T1600Z/ Pinellas-Coastal Hillsborough-Coastal Manatee-Coastal Sarasota- Coastal Charlotte-Coastal Lee- 721 PM EST Sat Jan 17 2026 ...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM SUNDAY TO 11 AM EST MONDAY... ...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING... * WHAT...For the High Surf Advisory, large breaking waves of up to to 5 feet expected in the surf zone. For the High Rip Current Risk, dangerous rip currents expected. * WHERE...Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, Coastal Charlotte and Coastal Lee Counties. * WHEN...For the High Surf Advisory, from 11 AM Sunday to 11 AM EST Monday. For the High Rip Current Risk, from Sunday morning through Monday morning. * IMPACTS...Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions and localized beach erosion. Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due to dangerous surf conditions. 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. && $$
1 follow-up statement
894 WHUS42 KTBW 181235 CFWTBW Coastal Hazard Message National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL 735 AM EST Sun Jan 18 2026 FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-191600- /O.CAN.KTBW.SU.Y.0001.260118T1600Z-260119T1600Z/ /O.CON.KTBW.RP.S.0004.260118T1600Z-260119T1600Z/ Pinellas-Coastal Hillsborough-Coastal Manatee-Coastal Sarasota- Coastal Charlotte-Coastal Lee- 735 AM EST Sun Jan 18 2026 ...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM EST THIS MORNING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING... ...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS CANCELLED... * WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected. * WHERE...Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, Coastal Charlotte and Coastal Lee Counties. * WHEN...From 11 AM EST this morning through Monday morning. * IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help. && $$
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 17, 7:21 PM EST | High Surf Advisory | TBW | Charlotte, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, Sarasota | 12 hr |
| Jan 18, 1:30 AM EST | Cold Weather Advisory | TBW | Charlotte, Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands and 9 more | 32 hr |
| Jan 18, 1:30 AM EST | Freeze Warning | TBW | Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Levy, Pasco, Polk and 1 more | 32 hr |
| Jan 18, 10:12 AM EST | Special Marine Warning | TBW | 63 min | |
| Jan 18, 11:12 AM EST | Special Marine Warning | TBW | 63 min | |
| Jan 18, 1:00 PM EST | Freeze Watch | TBW | Citrus, Hernando, Levy, Sumter | 22 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.