Rip Current in Alabama, May 28, 2014

Name: Rip Current in Alabama, May 28, 2014
Start: 2014-05-28T14:00
End: 2014-05-28T14:00
Location: Alabama

May 28, 2014 · NWS MOB · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A rip current fatality occurred on May 28, 2014 in Orange Beach, AL.

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 MOB wrote it up.

A rip current fatality occurred on May 28, 2014 in Orange Beach, AL.

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 Mobile, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 28, 12:10 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 28, 12:10 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED POINT TEMPS/POPS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
110 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2014

.UPDATE...WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW SPINNING IN
THE VICINITY OF THE ARKLATEX REGION...WHILE SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A
SURFACE BOUNDARY EXTENDING ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND ARCING
NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND FAR SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA. A VERY MOIST AIRMASS IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION...AND
PWATS HAVE INCREASED TO AROUND 2 INCHES ACROSS SOUTHEAST MS AND
SOUTHWEST AL AS MOISTURE HAS SPREAD OVERHEAD IN ADVANCE OF THE UPPER
LOW. THIS VERY MOIST AIRMASS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SURFACE
BOUNDARY HAS ENHANCED CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MUCH OF OUR
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES LATE THIS MORNING AND EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH ADDITIONAL CONVECTION DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHWEST
AL. SOME STORMS COULD STRENGTHEN TO NEAR SEVERE LIMITS WITH LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS NEAR THE BOUNDARY. WITH THE VERY MOIST
AIRMASS AND LOW LCL/S IN PLACE...WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR STORMS
THAT DEVELOP IN THE VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY FOR POTENTIAL ENHANCED
ROTATION. TORNADO WATCH #195 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR GEORGE...GREENE...
PERRY AND STONE COUNTIES UNTIL 5 PM CDT. PROBABLY OF GREATER CONCERN
WILL BE POTENTIAL FOR TRAINING STORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND
POSSIBLY FLOODING THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS STORMS GRADUALLY
DEVELOP EASTWARD INTO SOUTHWEST AL AND THE NORTHWEST FL PANHANDLE. A
FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR
POTENTIAL 2 TO 4 INCH RAIN AMOUNTS...WITH ISOLATED 4 TO 6 INCH
TOTALS.

GULF SHORES AND DESTIN BEACH LIFEGUARDS ARE REPORTING FREQUENT STRONG
RIP CURRENTS THIS MORNING. MODERATE ONSHORE FLOW AND HIGH TIDAL
RANGES SHOULD LEND TO CONTINUED FREQUENT RIP CURRENT ACTIVITY THROUGH
TONIGHT. A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS HAS BEEN ISSUED THROUGH TONIGHT
ALONG AREA BEACHES.

&&

.AVIATION [18Z TERMINAL FORECAST DISCUSSION]...OCCASIONAL MVFR
CEILINGS...LOCALIZED IFR...THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH INCREASING
COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY THRESHOLDS TO IFR OR LESS
AT TIMES IN THE STRONGER STORMS. SOUTH WINDS 10-15 KTS WITH
OCCASIONAL GUSTS AROUND 20 KTS PERSIST THIS AFTERNOON...BECOMING
SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH 5-10 KTS THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MOBILE      82  68  83  68  87 /  70  60  70  50  50
PENSACOLA   84  72  83  71  86 /  50  60  70  40  50
DESTIN      82  72  83  71  86 /  40  60  70  40  50
EVERGREEN   86  67  86  65  89 /  60  40  70  30  50
WAYNESBORO  82  68  84  65  87 /  80  60  70  30  50
CAMDEN      88  67  86  65  88 /  60  40  70  30  50
CRESTVIEW   88  66  86  65  90 /  50  40  70  40  50

&&

.MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK UNTIL 7 AM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: LOWER BALDWIN...LOWER MOBILE...

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     CHOCTAW...CLARKE...LOWER BALDWIN...LOWER MOBILE...UPPER
     BALDWIN...UPPER MOBILE...WASHINGTON...

FL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     COASTAL ESCAMBIA...COASTAL SANTA ROSA...INLAND ESCAMBIA...

     HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK UNTIL 7 AM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: COASTAL ESCAMBIA...COASTAL OKALOOSA...COASTAL SANTA
     ROSA...

MS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     GEORGE...GREENE...PERRY...STONE...WAYNE...

GM...NONE.
&&

21

Hazardous weather outlook, May 28, 9:13 AM CST, 4 hours 47 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1013 AM CDT WED MAY 28 2014

ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-291200-
CHOCTAW-WASHINGTON-CLARKE-WILCOX-MONROE-CONECUH-BUTLER-CRENSHAW-
ESCAMBIA-COVINGTON-UPPER MOBILE-UPPER BALDWIN-LOWER MOBILE-
LOWER BALDWIN-INLAND ESCAMBIA-COASTAL ESCAMBIA-INLAND SANTA ROSA-
COASTAL SANTA ROSA-INLAND OKALOOSA-COASTAL OKALOOSA-WAYNE-PERRY-
GREENE-STONE-GEORGE-
1013 AM CDT WED MAY 28 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI TODAY. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED
TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.

NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND THE
NORTHWEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE TODAY AND TONIGHT. HEAVY RAIN WILL BE
POSSIBLE SOUTHWEST OF A WAYNESBORO...GROVE HILL...NAVARRE LINE WHERE
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OVER 5
INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE
LOCATIONS THROUGH TONIGHT.

A MODERATE RISK FOR DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE ALONG AREA
BEACHES TODAY AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN COULD BRING FLASH FLOODING TO SOME AREAS ALONG
THE COAST AND OVER PARTS OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA ON THURSDAY. A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

A MODERATE RISK FOR DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE ALONG AREA
BEACHES ON THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED ACROSS SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI TODAY.

GMZ630>635-650-655-670-675-291200-
NORTHERN MOBILE BAY-SOUTHERN MOBILE BAY-MISSISSIPPI SOUND-
PERDIDO BAY-PENSACOLA BAY SYSTEM-CHOCTAWHATCHEE BAY-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
1013 AM CDT WED MAY 28 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE COASTAL
WATERS OF ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE MARINE
AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT. GUSTY STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...PERIODS OF HEAVY
RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE LIKELY WITH THE STRONGER STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE MARINE
AREA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. GUSTY STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...PERIODS OF
HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE LIKELY WITH THE STRONGER
STORMS.

Event by event

1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.

Rip Current, Lower Baldwin

When: May 28, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Lower Baldwin forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Broadcast Media

A 36 year old man from Atlanta drowned just west of Perdido Pass due to high surf and strong rip currents.

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, Lower Baldwin	2014-05-28	36	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 Alabama in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Alabama, May 2014

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: 522783.