Florida, 2018

Rip Current in Florida, February 25, 2018

February 25, 2018 · NWS MFL · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A teenager swimming along the beach was pulled under by a rip current while swimming with family and friends and later rescued. Numerous rip currents and rescues were reported along other Atlantic beaches during the day.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
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 MFL wrote it up.

A teenager swimming along the beach was pulled under by a rip current while swimming with family and friends and later rescued. Numerous rip currents and rescues were reported along other Atlantic beaches during the day.

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 Feb 25, 3:34 PM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 25, 3:34 PM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Miami FL
334 PM EST Sun Feb 25 2018

.DISCUSSION...
Isolated shower activity that has developed this afternoon over
interior and western sections will begin to diminish as this
evening progresses. Many areas will remain dry during the
overnight hours. There will still be enough low level moisture in
place to support some patchy fog development across the
northwestern interior sections. Any fog that does develop in these
areas will dissipate shortly after sunrise. Low temperatures
tonight will range from the mid 60s across northwestern interior
sections to the lower 70s across the east coast metro areas. Upper
level ridging will continue to expand westward on Monday which
will continue to allow the southeasterly wind flow to continue.
High temperatures on Monday will range from the lower 80s across
the east coast metro areas to the mid 80s across the interior.

Both of the GFS and the ECMWF continue to show a cold front
pushing across the Southeastern portion of the country and then
weaken as it approaches northern and central Florida on Tuesday.
This will allow the ridge to weaken over South Florida, leading to
a very weak southerly flow. There will still be enough moisture
in place to support a slight chance of showers on Tuesday
especially across northern areas.

By the middle to the end of the next week, both of the GFS and the
ECMWF show a drier air mass moving into the region, which will
limit shower chances during this time frame. By early next
weekend, both models show a weak cold front moving across South
Florida. This would bring drier air in behind it and it would
decrease the temperatures to at or below seasonal norms. However,
still nearly a week out, confidence is low to moderate of
occurrence.

&&

.MARINE...
A strong ridge of high pressure will continue to shift westward
towards South Florida early this week, the wind flow will relax
and become more southerly. This pattern will continue throughout
the middle of the week. Seas across the Atlantic and the Gulf
waters will generally be less then 3 feet through the middle of
the week.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
West Palm Beach  71  82  69  81 /  10  20  20  20
Fort Lauderdale  72  81  70  81 /  10  20  10  10
Miami            71  82  70  82 /  10  20  10  10
Naples           67  84  67  84 /  10  10  10  10

&&

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

DISCUSSION...55/CWC
MARINE...55/CWC
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 25, 10:01 AM EST, 7 hours 3 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook for South Florida...UPDATED
National Weather Service Miami FL
1001 AM EST Sun Feb 25 2018

AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676-
260100-
Lake Okeechobee-Biscayne Bay-
Coastal waters from Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach FL out 20 NM-
Coastal waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef FL out 20 NM-
Waters from Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM-
Waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef FL from 20 to 60 NM
excluding the territorial waters of Bahamas-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-
Coastal waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL out 20 NM-
Coastal waters from East Cape Sable to Chokoloskee FL out 20 NM-
Waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM-
1001 AM EST Sun Feb 25 2018

...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS EAST COAST BEACHES...
...PATCHY DENSE FOG POSSIBLE NORTHERN INTERIOR AREAS LATE TONIGHT...

This hazardous weather outlook is for South Florida.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

Rip Currents: There is a moderate risk of rip currents for the
Atlantic beaches today.

Visibility: Patchy fog is possible late tonight into early Monday
morning over the northern interior areas of South Florida where
visibilities could fall below quarter of a mile at times.

No other hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.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.

Baxter

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 Palm Beach County

When
February 25, 5:04 PM EST
Where
Coastal Palm Beach County forecast zone
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
26.648, -80.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A 13 year old was swimming with family and friends near Coral Cove Park in Tequesta when he was reported to have been caught in a rip current and pulled under the surf. A good samaritan who witnessed the incident was able to pull the teenager from the water and begin CPR. The teenager was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Report received via WPTV on Twitter.

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

More

Every storm in Florida in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, February 2018

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: 734678.