Spring Break Sunny Isles Beach — Courtesy: Shutterstock — B Cruz
Plans for spring break on Florida beaches on the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines have been postponed due to hazardous swimming conditions caused by strong waves and potentially fatal rip currents.
This week, strong southeasterly winds will likely result in rough surf and a high risk of rip currents in popular spring break locations.
There are rip currents and strong surf advisories in place for the whole east coast of Florida, south Georgia, and the Gulf Coast of Florida and Alabama.
When waves break close to the coast, the water builds up and creates a narrow stream that moves swiftly out of sight. This is how rip currents are formed. Even experienced swimmers may be swept away by these hidden hazards, which can drag them into deeper water and cause exhaustion and drowning.
According to NOAA, rip currents and other adverse ocean conditions kill about 22 people in Florida each year.
Through Wednesday, there is a high chance of rip currents along the shores of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater Beach as well as the Panhandle’s Gulf Coast beaches. There’s a moderate risk of rip currents around Fort Myers and Naples.
From the beaches in southeast Georgia all the way down to Miami, the east coast is still very dangerous for rip currents.
Meanwhile, through Wednesday morning, there are high surf advisories in effect for the Gulf Coast, which includes the Alabama counties of Mobile and Baldwin as well as the Florida counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay.
Up until Tuesday, beaches including Dauphin Island, Alabama, and Destin, Navarre, and Perdido Beach in Florida are expected to have large breaking waves of four to nine feet.
By Wednesday morning, according to the Mobile National Weather Service, the surf should be less than five feet.
Due to the significant risk of rip currents on Monday, beaches in the Florida counties of Walton and Bay were closed to swimming during double red flags.
Social media footage from Monday shows Walton County sheriff’s deputies monitoring Seagrove Beach and directing people away from potentially fatal waves.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.