On June 20, a 19-year-old man vacationing from Oklahoma got caught in a rip current and drowned behind Sharky's during the afternoon. Single red beach flags were flying at the time and a rip current statement was in effect.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 TAE wrote it up.
On June 20, a 19-year-old man vacationing from Oklahoma got caught in a rip current and drowned behind Sharky's during the afternoon. Single red beach flags were flying at the time and a rip current statement was in effect.
On June 21, three males visiting from Alabama got caught in a rip current and all drowned. Two of them were age 24 and one was age 25. Single red beach flags were flying at the time and a rip current statement was in effect. The men were seen in distress behind Watercress Condominiums at 6201 Thomas Drive at 8:11 pm CDT.
On June 23, a 29-year-old male visiting entered the water behind Sharky's Beachfront Restaurant and drowned in a rip current. In addition, a 60-year-old woman visiting from Missouri entered the water off Carillon Beach and drowned in a rip current. Single red beach flags were flying at the time for both cases.
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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 20, 1:49 PM EST, 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
249 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024
...New NEAR TERM, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER, HYDROLOGY...
.NEAR TERM...
(Through Friday)
Issued at 247 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024
An easterly tropical wave is expected to continue to push east into
north Florida overnight tonight. While no major tropical impacts are
expected across the region, the increasing moisture throughout the
day on Friday across the region will lead to higher chances for
showers and thunderstorms. This will especially be true across the I-
75 corridor and the SE Big Bend where PWATs will increase to around
1.8-2.00 inches. For areas with the highest rain chances, expect
widespread rainfall totals of 0.75 inches or less primarily east of
the Flint and Apalachicola river basins. Rain chances look to drop
off the further west into the forecast area. Expect near zero rain
chances for areas primarily west of the Flint and Apalachicola river
basins. DCAPE values will be decreasing with the moisture surge into
the region on Friday; however, showers/thunderstorms that develop
along that DCAPE gradient through the afternoon hours could produce
a few strong wind gusts. Overall, expect another day of mostly
cloudy conditions across the region, with high temperatures climbing
into the low to mid 90s through the afternoon. With clear skies and
dry air pushing into the region this afternoon and tonight, expect
overnight lows to drop into the upper 60s to low 70s areawide.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(Friday night through Sunday)
Issued at 247 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024
A weak mid-level high will slide westward, and our surface high
pressure will slide eastward. This will result in generally north to
northwest flow aloft with south to southeast flow in the low levels
with an overall increase in moisture. PWATs will climb to about 1.8
to 2.0 inches, which could result in some locally heavy downpours in
the stronger storms both Saturday and Sunday. The highest rain
chances will generally be in the Big Bend and south central Georgia
where there is less influence from the mid-level high. Outside of
storms, it will be quite hot and muggy with highs in the mid-90s and
lows in the mid-70s. Heat index values of 102 to 107 are possible
both afternoons.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Sunday through Wednesday)
Issued at 247 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024
Mid to upper level ridging moves off to our west and we end up in
northwesterly flow Monday through Wednesday as troughing starts to
take shape over the eastern US. Given the amount of moisture and a
weak frontal boundary trying to sink into the Southeast US, but
won't quite make it. However, our low-level flow will be out of the
south to southwest during this time, providing plenty of moisture
for daily showers and storms. This will keep our pattern rather
unsettled into next week, and we'll need to monitor if there are
any shortwaves that are embedded within the northwesterly flow
that may look troublesome. Rain chances will stay elevated through
the period. Outside of storms, highs will still be quite warm,
generally in the mid-90s. Lows will be in the middle to upper 70s.
Heat index values will be around 102 to 109 each afternoon.
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 106 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024
MVFR restrictions are being observed at DHN and ECP this
afternoon; however, they should lift to VFR levels as dry air from
the east continues to push into the region later this afternoon
and into the evening hours. All other terminals are seeing VFR
conditions at this time. Some vicinity showers are currently being
observed at or near all terminals this afternoon. These showers
look to continue for the next few hours, with ECP possibly seeing
a rumble of thunder or two through the late evening. Skies look
to clear through the overnight period before an easterly surge of
moisture pushes into the region during the late morning and early
afternoon on Friday. This could lead to MVFR CIGs developing at
VLD, but it is too uncertain, and just beyond the current TAF
window to include at this time.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 247 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024
The pressure gradient between the high to our north and Tropical
Depression Alberto will quickly weaken, which should finally end
our stretch of advisory conditions. Nightly chances of showers and
storms are possible over the waters. Winds will veer around from
the northeast to the southeast this weekend, then out of the west
to southwest next week. Seas will also begin to subside to 2 to 3
feet this weekend into next week. However, long-period swells will
continue through the period.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 247 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024
Northeasterly transport winds around 15-20 mph combined with mixing
heights around 5000-6500 ft will lead to high dispersions areawide
on Friday. While dry air is expected to push into the region
overnight tonight, another slug of moisture from the east is
forecast to push into the region during the early afternoon hours on
Friday. This will keep minimum RH values in the upper 50s to low 60s
along the I-75 corridor and SE Big Bend of Florida, and upper 30s to
mid 40s for the remainder of the forecast area. Overall, even though
we have had dry conditions the last couple of weeks, the only fire
weather concerns on Friday will be high dispersions.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
Issued at 247 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024
Moisture will gradually increase through the next several days. As a
tropical disturbance moves onshore along the northeast FL and
southeast GA, we'll see an uptick in showers and storms, which may
produce locally heavy downpours, mainly close to the I-75 corridor
and Suwannee River. But, this rain would be beneficial. Next week,
some locally heavy rainfall will also be possible as the pattern
remains rather active. But, at this time, widespread flash flood or
river flood concerns remain low.
&&
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not requested. However, spotters are always
encouraged to safely report significant weather conditions when they
occur by calling the office or tweeting us @NWSTallahassee.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Tallahassee 92 71 93 75 / 40 0 60 30
Panama City 90 73 92 77 / 60 20 20 20
Dothan 91 70 93 73 / 20 0 0 10
Albany 93 69 93 74 / 10 0 20 10
Valdosta 91 70 93 74 / 20 0 60 30
Cross City 92 72 92 73 / 40 20 80 30
Apalachicola 86 76 89 77 / 50 10 40 30
&&
.TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...High Rip Current Risk through late Friday night for FLZ108-112-
114-115.
GA...None.
AL...None.
GM...Small Craft Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for GMZ770-772.
&&
NEAR TERM...Bunker
SHORT TERM...Young
LONG TERM....Young
AVIATION...Bunker
MARINE...Young
FIRE WEATHER...Bunker
HYDROLOGY...YoungThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
On the afternoon of June 20, a 19-year-old man vacationing from Oklahoma got caught in a rip current and drowned behind Sharky's. Single red beach flags were flying at the time and a rip current statement was in effect.
On June 21, three males visiting from Alabama got caught in a rip current and all drowned. Two of them were age 24 and one was age 25. Single red beach flags were flying at the time and a rip current statement was in effect. The men were seen in distress behind Watercress Condominiums at 6201 Thomas Drive at 8:11 pm CDT.
A 29-year-old male visiting entered the water behind Sharky's Beachfront Restaurant and drowned in a rip current. In addition, a 60-year-old woman visiting from Missouri entered the water off Carillon Beach and drowned in a rip current. Single red beach flags were flying at the time for both cases.
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, Coastal Bay | 2024-06-20 | 19 | Male | In Water | Direct |
| Rip Current, Coastal Bay | 2024-06-21 | 24 | Male | In Water | Direct |
| Rip Current, Coastal Bay | 2024-06-21 | 24 | Male | In Water | Direct |
| Rip Current, Coastal Bay | 2024-06-21 | 25 | Male | In Water | Direct |
| Rip Current, Coastal Bay | 2024-06-23 | 29 | Male | In Water | Direct |
| Rip Current, Coastal Bay | 2024-06-23 | 60 | Female | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, June 2024
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: 1176066, 1176067, 1176714.