Texas, 2025Rip Current in Texas, September 12, 2025
September 12, 2025 · NWS BRO · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Moderate strength high pressure over east Texas and Louisiana was sufficient to produce a persistent northeast swell/wave direction. 4 feet with a swell period around 7 seconds around 200 miles east of South Padre Island was sufficient to create deceptive rip currents, and likely contributed to a drowning on the City beaches.
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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- 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.
Moderate strength high pressure over east Texas and Louisiana was sufficient to produce a persistent northeast swell/wave direction. During the afternoon of September 12th, offshore wave heights of 4.4 feet with a swell period around 7 seconds around 200 miles east of South Padre Island was sufficient to create deceptive rip currents, and likely contributed to a drowning on the City beaches.
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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 12, 11:20 AM CST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 12, 11:20 AM CST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
1220 PM CDT Fri Sep 12 2025
...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION, MARINE...
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1213 PM CDT Fri Sep 12 2025
An unsettled weather pattern is expected to persist throughout the
next week, bringing daily rain chances to the Rio Grande Valley and
Deep South Texas. Because a stalled frontal boundary is moving away
from the area, lower precipitation chances are expected throughout
the weekend, with a 30-40% chance for almost all of Deep South Texas
tomorrow, and a 20-30% chance on Sunday. A coastal trough is
expected to set up off the Mexican Gulf coast by early next week,
which will support continued unsettled weather. This, combined with
the abundance of moisture, daytime heating along with sea breeze
interactions will continue to support isolated to scattered shower
and thunderstorm development into next week. Starting Monday,
precipitation chances increase to around 40-50% for areas closer to
the coast and around 20-30% for areas east of US 281/I-69C. This is
expected to continue through at least next Friday.
Temperatures are expected to get up into the low to mid 90s for all
of Deep South Texas, and because there is going to be some higher
humidities with all of the moisture, there will be slightly elevated
heat indices. Heat Risk is expected to be mostly Minor (Level 1 of
4), with some small pockets of Moderate (Level 2 of 4) sprinkled in.
Low temperatures are expected to be typical for this time of year,
getting down into the low to mid 70s.
Moderate rip currents are expected throughout the week, as a
persistent easterly wind should create a stronger ocean fetch,
resulting in stronger surf closer to the shore. Most rip current
deaths occur along the Lower Texas Coast during moderate risks, so
area swimmers will need to remain situationally aware and exercise
caution.
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1213 PM CDT Fri Sep 12 2025
VFR conditions expected at all airports eith light to moderate
easterly winds which could become gusty at times. Isolated showers
are expected in the area through at least 0z, and could
temporarily deteriorate conditons at local airports
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 1213 PM CDT Fri Sep 12 2025
Light to moderate easterly winds and low wave heights (2 to 4 feet)
are expected throughout the weekend into next week. This will
result in overall favorable marine conditions. However, isolated to
scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to form over the
Gulf waters throughout the week. Some of these could have locally
gusty winds up to 30-40 mph, which could temporarily deteriorate
marine conditons in their direct vicinity.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BROWNSVILLE 91 77 92 77 / 50 50 40 20
HARLINGEN 93 74 94 72 / 50 20 30 10
MCALLEN 96 77 96 75 / 50 20 40 10
RIO GRANDE CITY 95 75 95 73 / 50 20 40 0
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 88 82 88 82 / 60 50 40 30
BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 90 77 90 77 / 50 40 40 20
&&
.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
GM...None.
&&
SHORT TERM...55-MM
LONG TERM....55-MM
AVIATION...55-MM
Rip Current, Cameron Island
- When
- September 12, 2:30 PM CST
- Where
- Cameron Island forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- Coast Guard
- Coordinates
- 26.152, -97.453 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A 20-year old male went missing in the surf near the south end of the city limits, in the vicinity of the Margaritaville Resort on September 12th, at around 230 PM. The US Coast Guard and local public safety officials began a search soon after (250 PM), but due to difficult waves and other unknown reasons, the swimmer was not found within a day and the search was called off.
THe body was eventually found two days later, a little over halfway up the City beaches (Beach Access 21) - 2.5 miles north of where the swimmer entered the water two days earlier. The combination of moderate waves and a east-northeast swell direction/period strongly suggested the swimmer was swept into deeper waters by a rip current.
- 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.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Arizona, September 12 to 13, 20251 death · $16,000 · 2.75 in hail · 13 events
- Tornado and Hail in North Dakota, September 12, 20251.5 in hail · 9 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds and Waterspout in Gulf of Mexico, September 12 to 13, 20258 events
- Damaging Winds in South Dakota, September 12 to 13, 202558 kt wind · 7 events
- Hail in North Dakota, September 12, 20251.75 in hail · 6 events
- Hail in Minnesota, September 12, 20251.5 in hail · 5 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, September 12, 20253 events
- Debris Flow and Flood in Puerto Rico, September 12, 2025$8,000 · 3 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Minnesota, September 12, 20251 in hail · 2 events
- Hail in Montana, September 12, 20251.5 in hail · 2 events
- Hail in South Dakota, September 12, 20251.75 in hail · 2 events
- Damaging Wind in Montana, September 12, 202550 kt wind · 1 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: 1295812.