Rip Current in Florida, April 1, 2012

Name: Rip Current in Florida, April 1, 2012
Start: 2012-04-01T12:30
End: 2012-04-01T12:30
Location: Florida

April 1, 2012 · NWS TAE · 1 event in 1 county or zone

B. Miller County Pier in Bay County, FL around 12:30 pm CDT on Sunday, April 1, 2012.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 TAE wrote it up.

A 27 year old male drowned near the M.B. Miller County Pier in Bay County, FL around 12:30 pm CDT on Sunday, April 1, 2012. A witness told police that the man was in the Gulf about chest deep and believed he may have been caught in a rip current. At least two other rescues occurred that day with no injuries. Yellow flags were posted at the beach.

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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 1, 10:39 AM EST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 1, 10:39 AM EST, 1 hour 51 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1139 AM EDT Sun Apr 1 2012

.UPDATE...
The forecast area is currently located in between an upper level
ridge to the west and an upper level trough to the east. Weak
northwesterly flow exists across the area. The surface pattern is
rather diffuse across the area with ridging over the Gulf of
Mexico. The morning KTAE sounding reveals a shallow moist layer
near the surface that will likely mix out during the afternoon
with fairly dry air aloft. Mid level lapse rates are steep with
values around 7 C/km. Modifying the morning sounding for an
afternoon T/Td of 87/59 still yields a decent SBCAPE value of 1927
j/kg. If we were to see any convection develop today, the steep
mid-level lapse rates could allow for an isolated stronger storm
capable of producing hail. Looking at the hi-res guidance, most of
the hi-res models keep the area dry today, although a couple of
members like our local 06z ARW and the 00z SPC NMM do develop some
convection. If convection were to develop, it would most likely be
along and near the sea breeze boundary during the afternoon hours.
The main change to the previous forecast was to add a slight
chance of showers and thunderstorms over parts of the area,
although we think any activity will remain very isolated. The high
temperature forecast appears to be on track with mid 80s still
expected over inland areas.

&&

.AVIATION...
Low clouds took until mid-morning to dissipate this morning, but
VFR conditions should prevail for the remainder of the day. An
isolated CB is possible this afternoon near the sea-breeze
boundary, but chances are not high enough to include in the TAFs
at this time. Another round of fog and low cigs is possible
tonight.

&&

.MARINE...
Sinking air associated with high pressure in the western Gulf of
Mexico will keep winds and seas mainly low. Winds near the coast
during the afternoon are expected to be slightly stronger at 10 to
15 knots.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Tallahassee   88  62  89  60  88 /  20  10   0   0  10
Panama City   83  67  84  66  83 /  10  10   0   0  10
Dothan        88  62  87  62  87 /  20  10   0   0  10
Albany        87  62  89  62  89 /  10  10   0   0  10
Valdosta      88  62  88  62  89 /  10  10   0   0  10
Cross City    85  63  87  59  86 /  20  10   0   0  10
Apalachicola  80  64  82  63  81 /  10  10   0   0  10

&&

.TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...None.
GA...None.
FL...None.
GM...None.

&&

DVD/Schaer

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 1, 9:14 AM EST, 3 hours 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1014 AM EDT SUN APR 1 2012

ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-108-112-114-115-118-127-128-134-
GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-GMZ730-750-755-765-770-775-021000-
COFFEE-DALE-HENRY-GENEVA-HOUSTON-INLAND WALTON-CENTRAL WALTON-
HOLMES-WASHINGTON-JACKSON-INLAND BAY-CALHOUN-INLAND GULF-
INLAND FRANKLIN-GADSDEN-LEON-INLAND JEFFERSON-MADISON-LIBERTY-
INLAND WAKULLA-INLAND TAYLOR-LAFAYETTE-INLAND DIXIE-SOUTH WALTON-
COASTAL BAY-COASTAL GULF-COASTAL FRANKLIN-COASTAL JEFFERSON-
COASTAL WAKULLA-COASTAL TAYLOR-COASTAL DIXIE-QUITMAN-CLAY-
RANDOLPH-TERRELL-DOUGHERTY-LEE-WORTH-TURNER-TIFT-BEN HILL-IRWIN-
EARLY-MILLER-BAKER-MITCHELL-COLQUITT-COOK-BERRIEN-SEMINOLE-
DECATUR-GRADY-THOMAS-BROOKS-LOWNDES-LANIER-
APALACHEE BAY OR COASTAL WATERS FROM KEATON BEACH TO OCHLOCKONEE
RIVER FL OUT TO 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM  OCHLOCKONEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL OUT TO
20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM  SUWANNEE RIVER TO KEATON BEACH OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM  SUWANNEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
1014 AM EDT SUN APR 1 2012 /914 AM CDT SUN APR 1 2012/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND THE FLORIDA BIG BEND
AND PANHANDLE...AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATER
THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE REGION. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD
BRIEFLY BECOME STRONG LATE IN THE AFTERNOON WITH SMALL HAIL AND
GUSTY WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT. ANY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO DIMINISH A COUPLE HOURS AFTER SUNSET.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV...THEN CLICK ON YOUR AREA
OF INTEREST ON THE NATIONAL MAP.

BARRY/GODSEY

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.

Rip Current, Coastal Bay

When: April 1, 12:30 PM EST
Where: Coastal Bay forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 30.238, -85.633 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 Bay	2012-04-01	27	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 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, April 2012

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: 368893.