Safety and Preparedness

Rip Currents, an Underrated Danger, Have Been More Deadly Than Tornadoes and Lightning This Year

At a Glance

Rip currents claim dozens of lives along the U.S. coastline each year.
More people have been killed by rip currents than tornadoes during the last several years.

Sun and relaxation might be your top priority when heading for the beach, but there is one more thing to have on the top of your mind: rip currents.

Rip currents are strong but narrow currents that flow away from the beach and pose a threat to all swimmers when they form. Rip currents can develop at any beach with breaking waves.

Large-scale weather disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes create headlines when it comes to deadly weather events. Rip currents, however, can be just as dangerous and contribute to a large number of deaths each year, many of them flying under the radar of the news media.

Enhanced photo showing a rip current. (NOAA)

The most recent rip current death occurred over the weekend on Florida's Atlantic coast where one person drowned at Cocoa Beach.

In total, eight people have now lost their lives in rip currents in the U.S during 2018. Florida has the most with four, followed by two in Texas and one each in Alabama and the U.S. western Pacific territory Guam.

This year's rip current toll more than doubles the three tornado deaths that have been documented so far this year in the U.S. It's also four times the number of lightning-related deaths, which stands at two through the first week of May.

Rip currents have killed more people annually than tornadoes from 2014-2017, so this year is not an outlier. Three of the last four years have also had more rip current fatalities than lightning and tornadoes combined.

(MORE: The Deadliest Weather of 2017)

Rip current deaths have been tracked by the National Weather Service (NWS) on an annual basis only since 2013, so long-term averages are unknown. In the last four years, however, the U.S. has averaged 65 rip current fatalities per year.

The NWS also noted that tracking deaths from rip currents and other surf-related hazards is a challenge since many are not documented or reported.

Florida and Puerto Rico have had the most rip current deaths in the four-year period 2014-2017 with 63 and 54, respectively. California, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas and Alabama all have rip current death tolls that are in the double digits since 2014.

Rip current deaths by state or territory 2014-2017.

The potential for dangerous rip currents is not just a concern for beachgoers at the ocean. Several rip current deaths have also occurred along the shores of the Great Lakes the last few years.

A rip current danger can exist on parts of our nation's coastline on sunny days with the instigating weather system hundreds of miles away, fooling beachgoers into thinking the water is safe.

If you are planning a day at the beach, it should be a priority to take note of the rip current risk for that day.

There are color-coded flags placed on many beaches each day to communicate the current threat.

A green flag (low risk) indicates that strong rip currents are not likely. A yellow flag (moderate risk) means that there is a good chance for strong rip currents and a red flag (high risk) signals that strong rip currents are expected. You can also get a daily rip current forecast from NOAA.

(MORE: How to Stay Safe From Rip Currents)