Florida, 2018Rip Current in Florida, October 31, 2018
October 31, 2018 · NWS MFL · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Breezy easterly winds brought an elevated rip current risk along the Atlantic beaches of South Florida for several days during the end of October. Several visitors to the beach were suspected to be victims of rip currents during the late morning low tide along Miami Beach.
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- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 1
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- 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.
Breezy easterly winds brought an elevated rip current risk along the Atlantic beaches of South Florida for several days during the end of October. Several visitors to the beach were suspected to be victims of rip currents during the late morning low tide along Miami 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 Miami, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 31, 6:16 AM EST, 1 hour 14 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 31, 6:16 AM EST, 1 hour 14 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Miami FL
716 AM EDT Wed Oct 31 2018
.AVIATION...
High pressure continues to dominate the weather pattern across
South Florida. VFR and dry conditions will prevail throughout the
forecast period. Light easterly winds early this morning will
increase to 10 to 12 knots late morning through the afternoon and
evening. Easterly wind continues overnight, becoming more
southeasterly tomorrow.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 347 AM EDT Wed Oct 31 2018/
DISCUSSION...
SHORT TERM (Today-Friday).. Current radar is quiet this morning
with deep layer ridging in place. This area of high pressure is
responsible for the drier conditions over the region. Observations
confirm this dry air with PWATs below 1.0" across South Florida.
For the next few days, this dry weather pattern will remain
predominantly in control. The area of high pressure is progged to
slide towards the east as a longwave trough amplifies. As the area
of high pressure moves eastwards, winds will veer from a
predominantly easterly flow to a more southerly flow by Thursday.
Gradual warming and increased chances of showers across South
Florida will occur through Friday as a result of the southerly
flow along the western periphery of the sliding high pressure.
LONG TERM (Saturday-Tuesday).. The GFS and ECMWF both show a frontal
boundary approaching the area as the aforementioned longwave
trough marches eastward. Both the GFS and ECMWF depict the frontal
boundary passing through the portions of South Florida on
Saturday before stalling out. Only a brief and minimal reprieve
from warming temperatures are expected on Saturday with this
boundary. However, moisture and showers are expected to increase
across South Florida late Friday through Sunday as a result of the
stalling boundary. By Monday, this frontal boundary will retreat
back to the north as another long wave trough amplifies across the
Midwest.
MARINE...
Easterly winds around 10-15 knots will continue through the day
tomorrow and become southerly on Thursday. High pressure will
dominate the weather pattern throughout the rest of the week with
showers increasing over the Atlantic waters by the start of the
weekend ahead of a frontal boundary.
BEACH FORECAST...
Breezy easterly flow along the Atlantic may increase the risk of
rip currents for the east coast beaches for Wednesday through
Thursday.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
West Palm Beach 83 72 86 72 / 0 10 20 20
Fort Lauderdale 83 75 85 76 / 0 10 20 20
Miami 83 73 85 74 / 0 20 20 20
Naples 86 68 85 71 / 0 10 10 10
&&
.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...None.
AM...None.
GM...None.
&&
AVIATION...33/Kelly
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 31, 2:26 AM EST, 5 hours 4 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook for South Florida
National Weather Service Miami FL
326 AM EDT Wed Oct 31 2018
AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676-
010000-
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-
326 AM EDT Wed Oct 31 2018
...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG ATLANTIC BEACHES...
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
Rip currents: There is a moderate risk of rip currents along the
Atlantic beaches today.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
Persistent easterly winds will allow for an elevated risk of rip
currents along the Atlantic beaches through much of the week.
An approaching cold front may bring increasing chances of
thunderstorms for Friday into the weekend.
No other 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
Rip Current, Coastal Miami-Dade County
- When
- October 31, 7:30 AM EST
- Where
- Coastal Miami-Dade County forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 25.609, -80.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reports that around 830 AM EDT, a man and woman were reported in distress in the water near 6th Street on Miami Beach. Both person were pulled from the water by Ocean Rescue and taken to the hospital where the man later died. There were numerous reports of rip currents in the vicinity throughout the day.
- 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.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Louisiana, October 31, 2018$1.3 million · EF2 · 18 events
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, October 31, 20182 injured · $700,000 · EF2 · 4 events
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, October 31, 2018$530,000 · EF1 · 5 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Texas, October 31, 2018$86,000 · EF1 · 18 events
- Tornadoes in Texas, October 31, 2018$108,000 · EF1 · 5 events
- Tornado and Flood in Texas, October 31, 2018$30,000 · EF1 · 13 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, October 31, 201850 kt wind · 19 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, October 31, 20185 events
- Flash Flood and Flood in Texas, October 31, 201861 kt wind · 3 events
- Flash Flooding in Arkansas, October 31, 20183 events
- Damaging Winds in Louisiana, October 31, 2018$4,000 · 50 kt wind · 2 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in Gulf of Mexico, October 31, 20181 event
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: 790873.