Numerous and strong rip currents impacted the beaches of east-central Florida from late on September 15 until late on September 29 due to long-period swell associated with distant and very long-lived Hurricane Nadine. A 66 year old male was caught in a rip current offshore Cocoa Beach and drowned on September 16 and a 17 year old boy drowned on September 21 after being caught in a rip current…
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.
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 MLB wrote it up.
Numerous and strong rip currents impacted the beaches of east-central Florida from late on September 15 until late on September 29 due to long-period swell associated with distant and very long-lived Hurricane Nadine. A 66 year old male was caught in a rip current offshore Cocoa Beach and drowned on September 16 and a 17 year old boy drowned on September 21 after being caught in a rip current offshore New Smyrna Beach. Beach Patrols across the east-central Florida coast observed rip currents throughout mid to late September and conducted numerous rescues.
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 Melbourne, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 16, 2:45 PM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 345 PM EDT SUN SEP 16 2012 .DISCUSSION... THROUGH TONIGHT...SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STORMS OVER INTERIOR SECTIONS AND TREASURE COAST REGIONS AT MID AFTERNOON. ACTIVITY EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE CONSOLIDATED ON WESTERN SIDE OF THE PENINSULA DURING THE EARLY EVENING. WILL KEEP ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WITH ONSHORE FLOW REGIME. ALSO HAVE A LOW THUNDER MENTION IN AFTER MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COASTAL SECTIONS AS SOME WEAK VORT ENERGY MAY AID IN A FEW STORMS FORMING DURING THE LATE NIGHT HOURS. OVERNIGHT MINS IN THE LOW TO MID 70S. MON THRU TUE...MID-UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL DEEPEN INTO THE EASTERN CONUS DURING THE EARLY WEEK. AT THE SAME TIME...THE SOUTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE DAMPENS AS IT TRAVERSES FROM TEXAS ALONG THE GULF COAST REGION. THE DEEPENING TROUGH WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT INTO THE EASTERN STATES AND DISPLACE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST DURING THE EARLY WEEK. THIS WILL RESULT IN FLOW VEERING TO SOUTHEASTERLY MONDAY THEN TOWARD THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST INTO TUESDAY TRANSPORTING DEEP MOISTURE INTO THE REGION. ON MONDAY...EAST COAST SEA BREEZE EXPECTED TO PUSH WELL INLAND WITH HIGHEST COVERAGE OF AFTERNOON STORMS OCCURRING OVER THE INTERIOR SECTIONS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. POPS EXPECTED IN THE HIGH END SCATTERED RANGE (50) MOST AREAS MONDAY...JUST A BIT LOWER NORTHERN COASTAL SECTIONS WHERE MOISTURE AND LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE NOT QUITE AS HIGH. BY TUESDAY...FLOW FURTHER VEERING TO THE SOUTHWEST WILL INHIBIT OR DELAY EAST COAST SEA BREEZE FORMATION. DESPITE THE LACK OF A SEA BREEZE...THE HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER AIR MASS COMBINED WITH A LITTLE COOLING AT MID LEVELS AND SOME DIFFLUENCE ALOFT EXPECTED TO GENERATE A HIGHER COVERAGE OF SHOWERS/STORMS WITH STORM MOTION BACK TO THE EAST COAST AND A FEW STRONGER STORMS POSSIBLE. DAYTIME POPS IN THE NUMEROUS/LIKELY CAT NORTH AND HIGH END SCATTERED SOUTH. TEMPERATURES NOT EXPECTED TO STRAY TOO FAR FROM CLIMO VALUES FOR HIGHS WITH MAX TEMPS MID/UPPER 80S COAST...AND UPPER 80S/NEAR 90 INTERIOR. OVERNIGHT TEMPS IN THE LOW/MID 70S. PREVIOUS EXTENDED DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... WED-SAT...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OFF OF THE EAST U.S. COAST EARLY IN THE PERIOD REMAINS FORECAST TO SHIFT EASTWARD FURTHER INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT WILL MOVE OFF OF THE EAST U.S. COAST EARLY ON WED. HIGH PRESSURE WILL AGAIN BUILD INTO THE EASTERN SEABOARD BY LATE WED INTO THU EVENTUALLY MOVING OFF OF THE EAST COAST BY LATE FRI. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY...QUASI-STATIONARY ACROSS NORTH FLORIDA...WILL MOST LIKELY SHIFT JUST A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH AND EVENTUALLY WASH OUT PAST MID-WEEK. WHEREVER IT ENDS UP...MOISTURE WILL STILL POOL ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA EACH AFTERNOON WITH SCATTERED CONVECTION. WILL KEEP INHERITED 50 PERCENT POPS EVERYWHERE ON WED AS WELL AS 40 PERCENT POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR THU-SAT. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT DOES BECOME VERY WEAK WITH LIGHT ONSHORE FLOW DEVELOPING FOR MUCH OF THIS PERIOD. AFTERNOON/EVENING SEA BREEZE/MESOSCALE BOUNDARY COLLISIONS WILL BE LIKELY CONTRIBUTORS FOR PRECIPITATION DURING THIS TIME. STORM STEERING FLOW IS FORECAST TO REMAIN FROM SOUTHWEST TO THE NORTHEAST WITH A MAJORITY OF AFTERNOON/EVENING CONVECTION PILING UP ALONG THE EAST COAST. THE RIGHT REAR QUAD OF THE UPPER JET WILL REMAIN SITUATED ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD AND NORTH FLORIDA ON WED BEFORE WEAKENING AND LIFTING OUT OF THE AREA ON LATE THU. SO THIS PARAMETER WILL REMAIN IN PLACE TO PROVIDE UPPER DIFFLUENCE ACROSS THE REGION WED-THU. && .AVIATION... TEMPO REDUCTIONS FROM SCATTERED SHOWERS/ISOLATED AFTERNOON STORMS PUSHING TOWARD THE WEST ACROSS THE INTERIOR SECTIONS. MOST OF THE ACTIVITY PUSHING TO THE WEST OF KLEE-KISM BEFORE SUNSET THIS EVENING...THEN ISOLD SHRA OVERNIGHT. A FEW TSRA ALSO POSSIBLE NEAR COAST AFTER MIDNIGHT SWD FROM KFPR. && .MARINE...TONIGHT-MON...WILL MAINTAIN CAUTIONARY HEADLINE FOR SEAS OVERNIGHT WITH E-SE WINDS 10-15KT AND SEAS 4-6 FT IN LONG PERIOD SWELL 13-14 SECONDS DUE TO DISTANT TC NADINE. FLOW WILL VEER MORE SOUTHEASTERLY ON MON AND SWELL HEIGHTS WILL BEGIN TO SLOWLY DECREASE AS NADINE ACCELERATES EASTWARD OVER DISTANT ATLANTIC. A FEW SHOWERS THROUGH THE EVENING AND A FEW TSRA POSSIBLE SOUTHERN LEGS...ESP AFTER MIDNIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... TUE-THU...A FRONTAL TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO NORTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA ON TUE AND MAY GRADUALLY SINK A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD BEFORE WASHING OUT. IN RESPONSE TO THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO THE NORTH INITIAL SRLY WINDS WILL GRADUALLY VEER TO SW OR WSW INTO TUE/WED...POSSIBLY BECOMING LIGHT ONSHORE AGAIN BY THU. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS FORECAST TO RELAX GRADUALLY THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH LIGHT WINDS BY LATE WED AFTN INTO THU. DEEP LAYER MOISTURE VALUES WILL BE FAIRLY HIGH DURING THIS TIME WITH SCATTERED OFFSHORE MOVING STORMS EACH AFTERNOON/EVENING AS THE STORM STEERING FLOW BECOMES SWRLY. A FEW STRONG STORMS POSSIBLE ON TUE WITH STORM MOVEMENT OF 20 KTS ON THIS DAY. PERSISTENT LONG PERIOD SWELLS CONTINUE THRU THE PERIOD BUT WITH INITIAL SEA HEIGHTS OF 3-5 FT SUBSIDING TO 2-3 FT ON WED AND 2 FT BY THU. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DAB 74 87 75 88 / 20 40 40 60 MCO 73 89 74 90 / 20 50 40 60 MLB 76 87 75 88 / 20 50 40 50 VRB 75 87 75 89 / 20 50 40 50 LEE 73 89 73 90 / 20 50 40 60 SFB 74 89 74 90 / 20 50 40 60 ORL 74 89 74 90 / 20 50 40 60 FPR 74 87 74 88 / 30 50 40 50 && .MLB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. && SHORT TERM...GLITTO RADAR/IMPACT WX...MOSES AVIATION...BOWEN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 1137 AM EDT SUN SEP 16 2012 AMZ550-552-555-570-572-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141- 144-147-170345- COASTAL WATERS FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE TO SEBASTIAN INLET OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER INLET OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- WATERS FROM VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE TO SEBASTIAN INLET 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER INLET 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- INLAND VOLUSIA-NORTHERN LAKE-ORANGE-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN BREVARD- OSCEOLA-INDIAN RIVER-OKEECHOBEE-ST. LUCIE-MARTIN-COASTAL VOLUSIA- SOUTHERN LAKE-NORTHERN BREVARD- 1137 AM EDT SUN SEP 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .RIP CURRENT IMPACT... LONG PERIOD SWELLS FROM DISTANT HURRICANE NADINE ARE REACHING THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA BEACHES TODAY AND LOCAL BEACH PATROL IS ALREADY REPORTING ROUGH SURF AND RIP CURRENT ACTIVITY. A HIGH RISK FOR STRONG RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY...WITH THE STRONGEST RIP CURRENTS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH 5 PM DUE TO TIDAL EFFECTS. WHEN THE RIP CURRENT RISK IS HIGH...THE SURF ZONE IS DANGEROUS FOR ALL LEVELS OF SWIMMERS. RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS JETTIES AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS. IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM AND BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE. ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE FORCE OF THE RIP CURRENT...BEGIN TO SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY. .THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... A DIFFUSE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE HAS DEVELOPED ALONG THE COAST LATE THIS MORNING IN THE PREVAILING ONSHORE FLOW...WHICH WILL PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR MOST ACTIVITY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. DAYTIME HEATING AND SLIGHTLY MORE INSTABILITY WILL GENERATE A BETTER CHANCE FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED LIGHTNING STORMS AS THIS BOUNDARY MOVES INLAND. ACTIVITY WILL MOVE TO THE WEST AT 5 TO 10 MPH. THIS RATHER SLOW MOTION WILL CONTRIBUTE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN SOME AREAS. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS UP TO 45 MPH IN A FEW STRONGER CELLS OVER THE INTERIOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON. .WIND AND SEA IMPACT... LONG PERIOD SWELLS FROM DISTANT HURRICANE NADINE WILL BOOST SEAS UP TO 6 FEET OVER THE OPEN ATLANTIC AND CAUSE VERY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS NEAR INLETS...ESPECIALLY DURING THE EBB TIDE THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. LONG PERIOD OCEAN SWELLS FROM DISTANT HURRICANE NADINE WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE MONDAY AND TUESDAY BUT THE RIP CURRENT RISK WILL REMAIN MODERATE TO HIGH THROUGH MID WEEK. SCATTERED AFTERNOON LIGHTNING STORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS UPCOMING WEEK...ESPECIALLY MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THERE WILL ALSO BE A BETTER CHANCE FOR OFFSHORE MOVING STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY. MOSES
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
A 66-year old man visiting from Arizona was caught in a rip current in the Atlantic, near the Ocean Landings Resort and Racquet Club in Cocoa Beach. The man was pulled to shore by emergency personnel and was transported to the hospitial. He died, due to drowning, a short-time later. Several others people were rescued from rip currents during the weekend.
A 17 year old boy from Avon Park, Florida was swimming in the ocean with three others at an unguarded beach off Bethune Beach Park in New Smyrna Beach during a period of enhanced rip currents. Three of the swimmers were rescued, but the body of the fourth swimmer was recovered from the surf a few hours later. The medical examiner classified the death as a drowning.
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, Brevard | 2012-09-16 | 66 | Male | In Water | Direct |
| Rip Current, Volusia | 2012-09-21 | 17 | Male | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, September 2012
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: 401247, 406469.