Rip Current in Florida, April 20, 2019

Name: Rip Current in Florida, April 20, 2019
Start: 2019-04-20T08:13
End: 2019-04-20T08:13
Location: Florida

April 20, 2019 · NWS MFL · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong and gusty northwesterly winds behind a cold front lead to numerous strong rip currents along the Gulf beaches of Collier County. Several people were rescued from rough surf and rip currents, receiving minor injuries.

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.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 6
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.

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 Apr 20, 6:15 AM EST, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 20, 6:15 AM EST, 1 hour 58 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Miami FL
715 AM EDT Sat Apr 20 2019

.AVIATION...
VFR conditions are expected through the period with breezy WNW
winds today slacking off and gradually becoming more NW
overnight.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 343 AM EDT Sat Apr 20 2019/

DISCUSSION...
The cold front that brought convection across the region has pushed
through and cleared the area overnight. Today winds will veer west
to northwesterly with drier air and cooler air beginning to filter
down the peninsula. A much cooler day over South Florida compared to
the upper 80s and 90 degree temperatures yesterday. Highs today will
be in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees.

Tonight, clear skies and cooler air behind the front will allow much
cooler overnight lows. Low temperatures will be in the low to mid
50s over the interior to low to mid 60s along both the west and east
coast.

The rest of the weekend into next week high pressure builds across
the region  and dominates with a relatively quiet and benign weather
pattern for much of the week. Temperatures will be below normal to
end the weekend. As winds become easterly a gradual warming trend
throughout the week back to normal temperatures, with highs back in
the mid 80s by mid-week.

By the end of the week next week the warm and humid air will return
as another front will approach the region with rain chances
increasing to end the week into next weekend.

MARINE...
Behind the frontal passage, winds have begun to veer westerly to
northwesterly. A small craft advisory is in effect for offshore
Gulf waters through this evening with seas of 5 to 7 feet. Winds
and seas will continue to gradually diminish as high pressure
builds towards the end of the weekend into early next week.

BEACH FORECAST...
 There is a high risk of rip currents at the Gulf coast
beaches through this evening. The coastal flood statement for the
Gulf coast was cancelled as tidal gauges and water levels have
dropped below threshold for any impacts.
&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
West Palm Beach  80  59  78  64 /  10  10   0   0
Fort Lauderdale  80  62  79  67 /  10   0   0   0
Miami            81  62  80  65 /  10   0   0   0
Naples           78  60  78  60 /   0  10   0   0

&&

.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...High Rip Current Risk through this evening for FLZ069.

AM...None.
GM...Small Craft Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for GMZ676.

&&

AVIATION...32/MM

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 20, 4:15 AM EST, 3 hours 58 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook for South Florida
National Weather Service Miami FL
515 AM EDT Sat Apr 20 2019

AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676-
202115-
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-
515 AM EDT Sat Apr 20 2019

...HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS GULF COAST BEACHES...
...SEAS AROUND 7 FEET GULF COASTAL WATERS...

This hazardous weather outlook is for South Florida.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

Waves: Seas around 7 feet will affect the Gulf waters.

Rip currents: There is a High Risk of Rip Currents for the Gulf
beaches of South Florida.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

The rip current risk will remain high at the Gulf beaches for most of
the weekend, then diminish by Monday. At the Atlantic beaches, the
rip current risk will increase early next week.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Widespread spotter activation is not anticipated.

For more information...visit the National Weather Service in
Miami website at www.weather.gov/miami.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 20, 5:11 AM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
611 AM EDT SAT APR 20 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0930 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 6 SSE PRINCETON         25.43N  80.35W
04/19/2019  M48 MPH          MIAMI-DADE         FL   MESONET

            WXFLOW STATION XTKY AT TURKEY POINT RECORDED A WIND
            GUST FROM THE SOUTH OF 42 KNOTS/48 MPH AT A HEIGHT OF 62
            FEET ABOVE GROUND.

&&

EVENT NUMBER MFL1900043

MOLLEDA

Local storm report, Apr 20, 5:12 AM EST, 3 hours 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
612 AM EDT SAT APR 20 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0734 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 NNE JUNO BEACH        26.89N  80.05W
04/19/2019  M45 MPH          AMZ650             FL   MESONET

            A NON-THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST OF 45MPH / 39 KNOTS WAS
            RECORDED BY THE WXFLOW MESONET SITE XJUP LOCATED AT JUNO
            BEACH PIER. THE WIND GUST WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A SHOWER.

0535 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 SE BONITA SHORES      26.30N  81.82W
04/19/2019  M56 MPH          COLLIER            FL   PUBLIC

            EARTH NETWORKS KALEA BAY

0535 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 2 SE BONITA SHORES      26.30N  81.82W
04/19/2019  M56 MPH          COLLIER            FL   PUBLIC

            EARTH NETWORKS KALEA BAY

0546 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 1 S MARCO ISLAND        25.92N  81.73W
04/19/2019  M46 MPH          COLLIER            FL   PUBLIC

0546 PM     TSTM WND GST     1 S MARCO ISLAND        25.92N  81.73W
04/19/2019  M46 MPH          COLLIER            FL   PUBLIC

            EARTHNETWORKS THE CHARTER CLUB OF MARCO BEACH

0546 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 6 E BUCKHEAD RIDGE      27.14N  80.79W
04/19/2019  M45 MPH          AMZ610             FL   MESONET

0546 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 6 E BUCKHEAD RIDGE      27.14N  80.79W
04/19/2019  M46 MPH          AMZ610             FL   MESONET

            A MARINE THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST OF 46 MPH/ 40 KNOTS WAS
            RECORDED BY THE SFWMD MESONET SITE L001 LAKE OKEECHOBEE
            NORTH.

0630 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 10 NW PAHOKEE           26.92N  80.77W
04/19/2019  M45 MPH          AMZ610             FL   MESONET

0911 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 WNW KENDALE LAKES     25.72N  80.45W
04/19/2019  M46 MPH          MIAMI-DADE         FL   MESONET

            46 MPH REPORTED FROM LAMAR LOUSIE CURRY MIDDLE SCHOOL.

0930 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 6 SSE PRINCETON         25.43N  80.35W
04/19/2019  M48 MPH          MIAMI-DADE         FL   MESONET

            WXFLOW STATION XTKY AT TURKEY POINT RECORDED A WIND
            GUST FROM THE SOUTH OF 42 KNOTS/48 MPH AT A HEIGHT OF 62
            FEET ABOVE GROUND.

0958 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 3 SW KEY BISCAYNE       25.66N  80.19W
04/19/2019  M56 MPH          AMZ630             FL   MESONET

            A MARINE THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST OF 56 MPH / 49 KNOTS
            WAS RECORDED BY THE WXFLOW MESONET SITE XKBS LOCATED IN
            BISCAYNE BAY SOUTH OF KEY BISCAYNE.

1000 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 3 N KEY BISCAYNE        25.73N  80.16W
04/19/2019  M44 MPH          MIAMI-DADE         FL   MESONET

            THE WEATHERSTEM STATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
            ROSENSTIEL SCHOOL ON VIRGINIA KEY REPORTED A 44 MPH/38
            KT WIND GUST AROUND 1000 PM EDT.

1000 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 3 N KEY BISCAYNE        25.73N  80.16W
04/19/2019  M40 MPH          AMZ651             FL   C-MAN STATION

            A MARINE THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST OF 40 MPH/ 35 KNOTS WAS
            RECORDED BY THE C-MAN STATION VAKF1 LOCATED NEAR
            VIRGINIA KEY.

1005 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 5 SSE MIAMI BEACH       25.75N  80.10W
04/19/2019  M51 MPH          AMZ651             FL   MESONET

            A MARINE THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST OF 51 MPH / 44 KNOTS
            WAS RECORDED BY THE WXFLOW MESONET SITE XGVT LOCATED AT
            GOVERNMENT CUT. THIS SITE IS ELEVATED AT 63 FEET.

&&

EVENT NUMBER MFL1900030 MFL1900031 MFL1900032 MFL1900033 MFL1900034
MFL1900035 MFL1900037 MFL1900036 MFL1900038 MFL1900043 MFL1900040
MFL1900039 MFL1900042 MFL1900041

Molleda

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 Collier County

When: April 20, 8:13 AM EST
Where: Coastal Collier County forecast zone
Injuries: 6 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 26.099, -81.381 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

North Collier Fire Rescue rescued 1 adult and five children for a total of six people from rough surf and rip currents during the morning hours at Wiggins Pass State Park. The victims were transported by Collier County EMS to local hospitals and later released.

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 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, April 2019

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: 822067.