Rip Current

Events

1,919

Deaths

1,420

Injuries

1,029

Damage

$173,000

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.

• Rip Currents in Florida, June 21 to 24, 20237 deaths · 5 eventsPersistent moderate onshore flow led to numerous rip currents for a multi-day period. The strongest rip current occurred between June 15-24 where unfortunately several fatalities occurred.
• Rip Current in Florida, June 8, 20036 deaths · 1 eventAt least 28 people were rescued from rough surf off the Walton County beaches. Six persons drowned. Reported by the Walton County EMA.
• Rip Currents in Florida, June 20 to 23, 20246 deaths · 3 eventsOn 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.
• Rip Currents in Florida, July 14 to 15, 20195 deaths · 4 eventsThe South Walton Fire Department Beach Safety Director confirmed the death of a 53 year old male from Tennessee as a direct result of being caught in a rip current. From some accounts, it's possible the individual was trying to rescue his daughter.
• Rip Currents in New York, July 25, 20084 deaths · 3 eventsA retreating offshore high pressure system and an approaching cold front produced a long south fetch with brisk south winds. Strong rip currents led to the deaths of 4 people. The first male death occurred at Sand Bar Beach in Southampton at 1:27 pm EDT.
• Rip Currents in Michigan, August 5, 20104 deaths · 2 eventsHigh waves and rip currents led to the drownings of two swimmers near Presque Isle in Marquette and two swimmers in Grand Marais on the afternoon of the 5th.
• Rip Currents in Alabama, June 9 to 10, 20134 deaths · 2 eventsStronger winds associated with passing scattered thunderstorms combined with strong outgoing astronomical tides produced a series of deadly rip currents along the Gulf-side beaches of Alabama on Sunday June 9th and Monday June 10th.
• Rip Currents in Florida, June 8 to 11, 20134 deaths · 7 injured · 5 eventsThe Panama City News Herald reported a rip current fatality occurred at Panama City Beach around 7 pm June 8th as well as three rescues that required hospitalization around 5 pm June 9th.
• Rip Currents in Florida, May 23 to 25, 20154 deaths · 7 injured · 4 eventsEnhanced onshore flow created rough surf and numerous strong rip currents that kept local beach patrols extremely busy during the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
• Rip Currents in New Jersey, June 15 to 18, 20174 deaths · 1 injured · 3 eventsMeteorological conditions were favorable for moderate to high rip current conditions from the 15th through the 18th. Unfortunately, four people died due to rip currents and one other person was injured.
• Rip Currents in Puerto Rico, March 18, 20264 deaths · 6 injured · 3 eventsBreezy easterly winds generated choppy to rough seas across the regional waters, increasing wave action along exposed beaches. As a result, life-threatening rip currents persisted along many exposed beaches in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands through the middle of March.
• Storm Surge and Flash Flooding in Florida, June 6 to 7, 20163 deaths · 1 injured · $5,000 · 14 eventsTropical Storm Colin made landfall across the southeast big bend during the overnight hours of June 6-7. Damage was relatively minor across the region. In Leon county, seven roads were closed on Monday afternoon due to flooding.
• Rip Current in California, March 25, 20003 deaths · 1 eventA school group from Calgary, Alberta was visiting Black Sands Beach near Shelter Cove. A rogue wave swept the female victim out to sea. Four other members of the group attempted a rescue but were overcome by waves and currents.
• Rip Current in North Carolina, September 13, 20003 deaths · 1 eventLarge swell waves from distant Hurricane Florence generated rip currents along Pleasure Island Beaches. Deaths by drowning occurred at 1:30 and 2:30 PM EDT at Kure Beach, and at 3 PM EDTat Carolina Beach.
• Rip Current in Puerto Rico, April 12, 20013 deaths · 1 eventA winter storm located over the Central Atlantic Ocean produced high seas across the local northern waters. These seas caused strong rip currents at Fajardo Beach where three people were carried away and drowned while they were snorkeling.
• Rip Current in New York, July 23, 20013 deaths · 1 eventThree girls were playing in knee-deep surf near Beach 17th street on Rockaway Beach around 9 am EDT, when they were swept away by rip currents. The inlet between Rockaway and Atlantic Beach was dredged to accommodate boat travel.
• Rip Currents in New York, August 10, 20023 deaths · 2 eventsA large high pressure system covered the area. The surface ridge axis extended northeast off the Mid Atlantic Coast, south of the coastal waters.
• Rip Current in Guam, June 27, 20043 deaths · 1 eventThree Chinese women, ages unknown, drowned in rough waters and strong currents off Sugar Dock Beach near Garapan, Saipan.
• Rip Currents in Florida, May 27 to 30, 20073 deaths · 3 injured · 3 eventsThree people drowned at southeast Florida beaches over the Memorial Day weekend as a result of rip currents. East winds of 15 to 20 mph persisted for several days and caused favorable conditions for numerous rip currents.
• Rip Current in American Samoa, February 17 to 18, 20073 deaths · 1 eventAfter 10:00 am Sunday 18 February 2007, 2 bodies were found and 1 lost at sea along the mouth of Aoa village harbor which lies to the north to northeast of Tutuila Island of American Samoa.
• Rip Currents in Florida, August 3 to 4, 20083 deaths · 2 injured · 3 eventsThree men drowned from rip currents at Panama City Beach on August 3 and 4.
• Rip Currents in Florida, August 31, 20083 deaths · 1 injured · 2 eventsStrong winds caused by the outer circulation of Hurricane Gustav produced rip currents along the Atlantic coast of South Florida. These rip currents produced multiple fatalities, one injury, and caused around 15 rescues.
• Rip Currents in New Jersey, July 12 to 16, 20083 deaths · 4 eventsEnhanced rip currents caused by swells from Hurricane Bertha resulted in three deaths along the New Jersey coast on the weekend of July 12th and 13th. The rip currents and strong surf caused many water rescues and led to bathing restrictions.
• Rip Currents in Florida, May 15, 20103 deaths · 2 eventsPersistent high pressure over the western Atlantic produced moderate to strong east winds across south Florida. This led to the development of strong rip currents along the east coast beaches.
• Rip Current in Texas, April 27, 20113 deaths · 1 eventA marginally dangerous easterly swell, invitingly warm water temperatures, and focus around jetties on South Padre Island proved a dangerous mix during the evening of April 27th, when three young males with limited swimming experience ventured into the Gulf and were swept away…

• Rip Currents in California, December 15 to 16, 200217 injured · $100,000 · 2 events
• Rip Current in Guam, July 4, 2001$40,000 · 1 event
• Rip Current in American Samoa, April 9 to 16, 2001$20,000 · 1 event
• Rip Current in American Samoa, April 28, 2022$10,000 · 1 event
• Rip Current in Guam, January 15, 1999$2,000 · 1 event
• Rip Current in Georgia, July 24, 2009$1,000 · 1 event

• Thunderstorm Wind
• Hail
• Flash Flood
• High Wind
• Winter Storm
• Drought
• Winter Weather
• Tornado
• Heavy Snow
• Flood
• Marine Thunderstorm Wind
• Heat
• Heavy Rain
• Strong Wind
• Excessive Heat
• Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
• Cold/Wind Chill
• Lightning
• Dense Fog
• Blizzard
• Frost/Freeze
• Ice Storm
• High Surf
• Funnel Cloud
• Wildfire
• Tropical Storm
• Waterspout
• Coastal Flood
• Lake-Effect Snow
• Debris Flow
• Hurricane (Typhoon)
• Dust Storm
• Rip Current
• Storm Surge/Tide
• Marine High Wind
• Sleet
• Avalanche
• Marine Hail
• Astronomical Low Tide
• Marine Tropical Storm
• Tropical Depression
• Freezing Fog
• Lakeshore Flood
• Dust Devil
• Marine Strong Wind
• Dense Smoke
• Marine Hurricane/Typhoon
• Volcanic Ashfall
• Seiche
• Sneakerwave
• Volcanic Ash
• Tsunami
• Marine Tropical Depression
• Marine Dense Fog
• Northern Lights
• Marine Lightning
• Hurricane

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.