A period of strong easterly winds caused strong rip currents to form along the beaches of Southeast Florida.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS MFL wrote it up.
A period of strong easterly winds caused strong rip currents to form along the beaches of Southeast Florida.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Miami, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 20, 11:40 AM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1240 PM EDT MON AUG 20 2007
.DISCUSSION...
MAJOR HURRICANE DEAN OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA IS STILL
FORECAST BY NHC TO MOVE WESTERLY INTO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA
LATE TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY. AT THE SAME TIME...THE HIGH OVER THE
SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY. SO THE
TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER SOUTH FLORIDA THIS AFTERNOON WILL
START TO RELAX TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY. THIS WILL KEEP THE FAST
MOVING SHOWERS BLOWING IN FROM THE ATLANTIC WATERS INTO THE EAST
COAST METRO AREAS TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY. THERE COULD ALSO BE A FEW
SHOWERS AND/OR THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE INTERIOR AREAS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS...AND AGAIN ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON
INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. SO WILL KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE OF POPS
OVER THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY...AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
POPS FOR THE EAST COAST AREAS TONIGHT.
A TROPICAL WAVE NORTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS WILL MOVE TO THE
WEST TO NORTHWEST AND COULD MOVE INTO THE SOUTH FLORIDA AREA
MIDDLE TO END OF THIS WEEK. THIS SHOULD KEEP THE WEATHER MOSTLY
DRY OVER THE CWA ON WEDNESDAY...DUE TO THE SUBSTANCE AHEAD OF THE
TROPICAL WAVE...BEFORE TROPICAL MOISTURE WORKS INTO THE CWA FROM
THE ATLANTIC WATERS. SO LOW POPS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA ON
WEDNESDAY...BEFORE INCREASING TO CHANCE POPS LATE THIS WEEK.
.EXTENDED FORECAST...
THE HIGH WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE
SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES. THIS WILL KEEP THE EASTERLY FLOW GOING OVER
THE CWA THIS WEEKEND...AND ALLOW FOR THE TYPICAL SUMMER TIME
PATTERN TO SET UP OVER SOUTH FLORIDA. THIS MEANS LATE NIGHT AND
EARLY MORNING ACTIVITY EAST COAST...AND AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACTIVITY INTERIOR AND WEST COAST AREAS.
&&
.AVIATION...
VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH MAIN ISSUE
BEING EASTERLY WINDS WHICH WILL GUST OVER 20 KTS THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON AT ALL TERMINALS...BUT SUSTAINED VALUES WILL STILL REMAIN
NEAR 15 KTS THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT. EXPECT BRIEF VERY FAST MOVING
LIGHT SHOWERS AT THE EAST COAST TERMINALS FROM TIME TO TIME WITH
BRIEF PERIODS OF MVFR CEILINGS AND PSBL WIND GUSTS AROUND 25
KTS...ALTHOUGH SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY...A STREAMER CONVERGENCE BAND IS
FORMING DOWNWIND OF THE BAHAMAS WHICH COULD PRODUCE MORE FREQUENT
AND HEAVIER SHOWERS IN VCTY OF KPBI AND KFXE LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
AT KAPF...EXPECT A POSSIBLE QUICK MOVING THUNDERSTORM OR TWO MAY
DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE INTERIOR AND IMPACT THE
TERMINAL. ANY STORM WILL BE QUICK MOVING WITH JUST A BRIEF PERIOD OF
MVFR CEILINGS/VSBYS.
&&
.MARINE...
THE WINDS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON HAVE BEEN FROM THE EAST AROUND 20
KNOTS OVER THE ATLANTIC WATERS AND 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER REST OF THE
CWA WATERS...EXCEPT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER THE NEAR-SHORE GULF
WATERS. THESE WIND SPEEDS AND DIRECTION SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE DECREASING TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER THE
ATLANTIC WATERS.
THE SPEEDS WILL THEN DECREASE BELOW 15 KNOTS ON TUESDAY OVER ALL
OF THE CWA WATERS AND REMAIN BELOW 15 KNOTS UNTIL WEDNESDAY
NIGHT...BEFORE INCREASING AGAIN TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS WEDNESDAY NIGHT
INTO THURSDAY AS THE TROPICAL WAVE APPROACHES SOUTH FLORIDA.
THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THE SEAS IN THE ATLANTIC WATERS TO SLOWLY
FALL FROM 7 FEET THIS AFTERNOON TO LESS THAN 6 FEET BY TUESDAY
MORNING. THE ATLANTIC SEAS WILL THEN REMAIN BELOW 6 FEET THROUGH
WEDNESDAY BEFORE INCREASING TO 6 FEET AGAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO
THURSDAY.
FOR THE GULF SIDE...THE SEAS WILL REMAIN BELOW 6 FEET FOR MOST OF
THE WATERS THROUGH THE WEEK. THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS THE OFF SHORE
GULF WATERS WERE THEY WILL BE 6 FEET THROUGH TONIGHT BEFORE
FALLING BELOW 6 FEET ON TUESDAY.
SO WILL CONTINUE THE SCA FOR THE ATLANTIC WATERS AND BISCAYNE BAY
UNTIL THIS EVENING...AND THEN HAVE A SCEC UP FOR THIS AREA FOR
TONIGHT. WILL ALSO KEEP THE SCEC UP FOR THE OFF SHORE GULF WATERS
AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
THE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL REMAIN ABOVE CRITICAL VALUES THROUGH
THE WEEK. SO NO PROBLEMS WITH THE FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WEST PALM BEACH 82 90 81 90 / 20 20 20 20
FORT LAUDERDALE 84 89 83 89 / 20 20 20 20
MIAMI 83 91 82 91 / 20 20 20 20
NAPLES 79 96 78 96 / 20 20 20 20
&&
.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...NONE.
AM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR AMZ650-
AMZ651-AMZ670-AMZ671.
GM...NONE.
&&
LONG TERM...54/BNB
SHORT TERM/AVIATION...65/GSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 936 AM EDT MON AUG 20 2007 FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-210130- GLADES-HENDRY-INLAND PALM BEACH-METRO PALM BEACH-COASTAL COLLIER- INLAND COLLIER-INLAND BROWARD-METRO BROWARD-INLAND MIAMI DADE- METRO MIAMI DADE-MAINLAND MONROE-COASTAL PALM BEACH- COASTAL BROWARD-COASTAL MIAMI DADE-FAR SOUTH MIAMI DADE- 936 AM EDT MON AUG 20 2007 ...HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ATLANTIC BEACHES TODAY... ...SLIGHT RISK OF LIGHTNING INTERIOR AND SOUTHWEST COAST THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT RIP CURRENTS: EAST WINDS OF 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH WILL RESULT IN A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENT AT THE ATLANTIC BEACHES OF PALM BEACH, BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES. SWIMMING IS NOT ADVISED WHEN THE RIP CURRENT RISK IS HIGH. THUNDERSTORMS: THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER INTERIOR AND SOUTHWEST COAST SECTIONS THIS AFTERNOON. LIGHTNING WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARD WITH ANY STORM THAT DEVELOPS. TEMPERATURES: HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL REACH NEAR 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON OVER GLADES, HENDRY, COLLIER AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES. ALL PERSONS SHOULD LIMIT OUTSIDE EXPOSURE AND DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS. WAVES: SEAS WILL BE AS HIGH AS 7 FEET OVER THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON, THEN DECREASE TO 6 FEET OR LESS THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY GRADUALLY DECREASING EAST WINDS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WILL LEAD TO A LESSENING RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE ATLANTIC BEACHES OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA. NEVERTHELESS, THE RIP CURRENT RISK WILL REMAIN RELATIVELY HIGH THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL INCREASE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS A TROPICAL WAVE APPROACHES SOUTH FLORIDA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
Two people were rescued at Fort Lauderdale Beach after being pulled by rip currents. Both required treatment at area hospitals but were OK.
Time is estimated.
A 40-year-old man drowned as a result of rip currents shortly after 6 PM at a public beach near Las Olas Boulevard and AIA in Fort Lauderdale Beach. No lifeguards were on duty as the drowning occurred after hours.
A woman who tried to rescue the man was taken to the hospital but recovered.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rip Current, Coastal Broward County | 2007-08-20 | 40 | Male | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, August 2007
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 55239, 55238.