Rip Currents in Florida, May 15, 2010

Name: Rip Currents in Florida, May 15, 2010
Start: 2010-05-15T08:30
End: 2010-05-15T17:30
Location: Florida

May 15, 2010 · NWS MFL · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Persistent high pressure over the western Atlantic produced moderate to strong east winds across south Florida. This led to the development of strong rip currents along the east coast beaches.

Where it happened

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.

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Wind
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Fire, smoke and dust
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The toll

Deaths: 3
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MFL wrote it up.

Persistent high pressure over the western Atlantic produced moderate to strong east winds across south Florida. This led to the development of strong rip currents along the east coast beaches. Three persons drowned as a result of the strong rip currents, and as many as several hundred people were rescued during a three-day period along the beaches of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

What forecasters said that day

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 May 15, 6:24 AM EST, 2 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 6:24 AM EST, 2 hours 6 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
724 AM EDT SAT MAY 15 2010

.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT ALL TERMINALS TODAY.
HOWEVER...AS MOISTURE INCREASES ACROSS THE REGION...EXPECT A
CONTINUATION OF STRATOCU SPREADING ONSHORE ALONG THE SE
COAST...WITH SCT025-035 BENEATH BKN035-050 AND SCT/BKN CI. DECIDED
TO INCLUDE VCSH FOR ATLANTIC COAST TERMINALS BETWEEN 14-23Z...AS
MODELS ARE INDICATING AN INCREASE IN SHRA ACTIVITY MOVING RAPIDLY
WESTWARD ACROSS THE PENINSULA TODAY. TSRA CHANCES STILL LOOK TO BE
HIGHEST AT APF... ESPECIALLY IF GULF COAST SEA BREEZE CAN MANAGE
TO PUSH INLAND... AND WILL MENTION VCTS/CB FROM LATE MORNING THRU
LATE AFTERNOON. MODERATE ESE SURFACE WINDS WILL PERSIST ALONG THE
EAST COAST THRU PERIOD...WITH GUSTS TO 23 KNOTS POSSIBLE THIS
AFTERNOON. LIGHTER FLOW EXPECTED AT APF...WITH DIRECTION VEERING
TO SSE BY LATE MORNING.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 315 AM EDT SAT MAY 15 2010/

DISCUSSION...
..HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS EAST COAST BEACHES OF SOUTH FLORIDA TODAY...
..WETTER PATTERN ON THE WAY SUNDAY INTO MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...

DISCUSSION...
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC WATERS EARLY THIS MORNING WILL
SLOWLY WEAKEN AND MOVE FURTHER EAST INTO THE ATLANTIC WATERS TODAY
INTO TONIGHT. THIS WILL ALSO ALLOW FOR A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE
OVER THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE UNITED STATES TO MOVE EAST AND
INTO THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE UNITED STATES BY LATE SUNDAY.

THEREFORE...THE EASTERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WILL CONTINUE
TODAY BEFORE SLOWLY SWINGING SOUTHEAST AND DECREASING TO 10 TO 15
MPH BY SUNDAY. AT THE SAME TIME...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME MORE
UNSTABLE OVER SOUTH FLORIDA TODAY INTO SUNDAY ALLOWING FOR
ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER THE CWA TODAY AND SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CWA ON SUNDAY. THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS IS
OVER THE WEST COAST METRO AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA WHERE SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON...AND NUMEROUS
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR SUNDAY AFTERNOON...DUE TO THE
WEST COAST SEA BREEZE DEVELOPING EACH AFTERNOON AND REMAIN OVER
THE AREA.

THE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE
EASTERN UNITED STATES EARLY NEXT WEEK ALLOWING FOR A WEAK COLD
FRONT TO WORK DOWN FROM THE NORTH...AND STALL OUT OVER CENTRAL
FLORIDA BY MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL KEEP THE STEERING FLOW
SOUTHWEST OVER THE CWA FOR THE EARLY TO MIDDLE PART OF NEXT
WEEK...AND ALLOW FOR TROPICAL MOISTURE TO WORK INTO THE AREA FROM
THE CARIBBEAN SEA. SO WILL CONTINUE WITH THE SCATTERED POPS OVER
THE CWA FOR THE EARLY TO MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH THE HIGHEST POPS
OVER THE EAST COAST METRO AREAS.

THE LATEST LONG RANGE MODELS STILL CONTINUE TO SHOW SMALL SHORTWAVES
LIFTING FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS THE PENINSULA
DURING SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THIS COULD ALLOW
FOR A FEW OF THE STORMS TO BECOME STRONG ESPECIALLY ALONG THE WEST
COAST METRO AREAS ON SUNDAY BEFORE SHIFTING TO THE EAST COAST
METRO AREAS FOR THE EARLY TO MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE PRIMARY
IMPACTS AT THIS TIME SHOULD BE GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL...AND SMALL HAIL. SO WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION THIS IN THE
MORNING HWO.

EXTENDED FORECAST...
THE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL THEN START TO BREAK DOWN DURING
THE END OF NEXT WEEK...AS HIGH PRESSURE REBUILDS OVER THE WESTERN
ATLANTIC WATERS. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THE EASTERLY WIND FLOW TO
RETURN TO THE AREA FOR THE END OF NEXT WEEK INTO NEXT WEEKEND
ALONG WITH SOME DRIER AIR. SO WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW ISOLATED TO
LOW END SCATTERED POPS OVER SOUTH FLORIDA DURING THIS TIME.

MARINE...
THE WINDS WILL BE EASTERLY TODAY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER THE CWA
WATERS...EXCEPT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER THE NEAR-SHORE GULF WATERS.
THE EASTERLY WINDS WILL THEN SLOWLY SWING TO A SOUTHEAST DIRECTION
LATE TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY WHILE SLOWLY DECREASING TO 10 TO 15
KNOTS. THE WINDS WILL THEN BE SOUTHERLY EARLY TO MIDDLE OF NEXT
WEEK WITH SEEDS OF LESS THAN 15 KNOTS. THE SEAS OVER THE CWA
WATERS WILL REMAIN BELOW 6 FEET TODAY INTO MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
SO THE ONLY HEADLINES FOR TODAY WILL BE THE SCEC FOR ALL OF THE
CWA WATERS...EXCEPT FOR THE NEAR-SHORE GULF WATERS WHERE THERE
WILL BE NO HEADLINES.

THERE WILL ALSO BE A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE EAST
COAST BEACHES OF SOUTH FLORIDA TODAY...DUE TO THE BREEZY EASTERLY
WINDS AND LOW TIDE THIS AFTERNOON.

FIRE WEATHER...
THE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES THIS WEEKEND WILL REMAIN ABOVE THE 35
PERCENT LEVEL...DUE TO THE INCREASE IN TROPICAL MOISTURE FROM THE
CARIBBEAN SEA. SO NO HEADLINES ARE EXPECTED FOR THE FIRE WEATHER
THIS WEEKEND FOR SOUTH FLORIDA.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WEST PALM BEACH  86  75  86  75 / 20 20 50 30
FORT LAUDERDALE  86  77  86  77 / 20 20 50 30
MIAMI            87  76  87  76 / 20 20 50 30
NAPLES           90  72  89  73 / 30 20 60 40

&&

.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...NONE.
AM...NONE.
GM...NONE.
&&

LONG TERM...60/BD
SHORT TERM/AVIATION...47/RHG

Hazardous weather outlook, May 15, 3:57 AM EST, 4 hours 33 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
457 AM EDT SAT MAY 15 2010

FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-160930-
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-
457 AM EDT SAT MAY 15 2010

...HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ATLANTIC COAST...
...SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WESTERN AREAS...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

RIP CURRENTS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL PERSIST IN THE 15 TO 20
MPH RANGE ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA THROUGH
TONIGHT, LEADING TO A CONTINUATION OF THE HIGH THREAT FOR RIP
CURRENTS.

THUNDERSTORMS: ISOLATED AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING THUNDERSTORMS
ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WESTERN INTERIOR AND GULF COAST PORTIONS
OF SOUTH FLORIDA TODAY, PRIMARILY TO THE WEST OF A LINE FROM
PALMDALE TO FLAMINGO. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES AND GUSTY
WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WITH THIS ACTIVITY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

ONSHORE WINDS WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST OF
SOUTH FLORIDA THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK, BUT WILL
REMAIN SUFFICIENTLY HIGH THROUGH MONDAY TO ALLOW FOR AN ELEVATED
RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.

THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH
FLORIDA FROM SUNDAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK, WITH THE
HIGHEST CHANCES FOR STORMS GRADUALLY SHIFTING FROM THE GULF COAST
TO THE ATLANTIC COAST BY TUESDAY. GUSTY WINDS, FREQUENT LIGHTNING
STRIKES, AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY THIS
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI
WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI.

70/DD

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.

Rip Current, Coastal Palm Beach County

When: May 15, 8:30 AM EST
Where: Coastal Palm Beach County forecast zone
Deaths: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 26.648, -80.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A couple visiting the area from Georgia drowned in rip currents in Lantana. A 57-year-old woman got into trouble after being pulled by a rip current. Her 70-year-old husband jumped in to save her, but was also caught in the current. Two Good Samaritans jumped in the water to try to save the couple without success.

The drownings occurred at an unguarded section of the beach.

Rip Current, Coastal Broward County

When: May 15, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Coastal Broward County forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 26.152, -80.456 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A local teenager and his friend were caught in rip currents while swimming on Fort Lauderdale Beach. One of the boys was rescued by emergency personnel, but an 18-year-old male was unable to be rescued. His body was spotted two days later near the same spot on the beach.

The beach was unguarded at the time of the incident because it was after hours.

The people who died

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 Palm Beach County	2010-05-15	57	Female	In Water	Direct
Rip Current, Coastal Palm Beach County	2010-05-15	70	Male	In Water	Direct
Rip Current, Coastal Broward County	2010-05-15	18	Male	In Water	Direct

What these are

Rip Current: A narrow, fast current flowing away from the beach that caused a drowning or rescue.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Florida in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, May 2010

Sources

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: 236730, 236731.