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By Amanda Greenwood
Associate News Editor
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Millions of beachgoers across Florida are being urged to stay out of the water, or swim near a lifeguard, as dangerous rip currents threaten beach safety from Thursday continuing into the weekend, in some areas.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warns "rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water, where it becomes difficult to return to safety."
Areas In Florida Affected By Strong Rip Currents
Northeast Florida beaches and coastal counties along Florida’s Atlantic (east) coast including Volusia, Indian River, Saint Lucie, Martin, and Brevard, are expected to get dangerous rip currents and a southward-flowing longshore current through Thursday evening.
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A southward-flowing longshore current is a current that moves parallel to the shoreline, carrying water (and sand) from north to south along the beach.
These types of currents are challenging because they can often pull swimmers down the beach, away from where they entered the water, making it harder to return to the same spot on the shoreline. They can also sweep unsuspecting swimmers into dangerous rip currents.
Coastal Broward and Miami Dade counties are expected to get dangerous rip currents through Saturday night, with the risk expanding northward to coastal Palm Beach County through Sunday evening.
Why Rip Currents Are So Deadly
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration graphic (NOAA), rip currents can move at speeds of up to 8 feet per second—faster than an Olympic swimmer, quickly pulling people away from shore and into deeper water.
Panic and exhaustion are common factors in drownings, particularly when swimmers attempt to fight the current instead of escaping laterally.
The NWS and the NOAA emphasize that rip currents do not pull swimmers under the water, but instead carry them away from shore, often beyond where they can safely return on their own.
The National Hurricane Center says that over the last 10 years, about 10 to 15 percent of U.S. fatalities were caused by rip currents following severe weather events, such as tropical storms and hurricanes, and also highlights that rip currents kill over 100 Americans every year.
Safety Guidance for Swimmers
The NWS stresses that the safest option during high‑risk days is to stay out of the ocean entirely. If swimmers do enter the water, they should do so only at beaches with lifeguards present, as the risk of drowning at guarded beaches is dramatically lower—The NWS says that the chances of drowning at a beach with lifeguards are 1 in 18 million.
If caught in a rip current, experts advise swimmers to remain calm, float or tread water, and swim parallel to the shoreline until free of the current’s pull.
As Florida enters its busiest beach season, officials warn that awareness and caution can mean the difference between life and death.
Checking local forecasts and heeding rip current statements, they say, is a critical step before heading into the surf.
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