Aerial view of New Smyrna Beach, Florida – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Sky Cinema
The ideal retreat may be a day at a Florida beach. People from all over the world visit our beaches for a day out with friends and family because they have miles of sand, sunshine, and crashing ocean waves.
However, statistics from the website Travel Lens indicate that several of Florida’s beaches are among the deadliest in the US regarding the number of storms, shark attacks, and fatal surfing accidents. In fact, seven of the 10 beaches that made the list are found in Florida.
With an overall hazard rating of 8.14 out of 10, New Smyrna Beach tops the list as the deadliest beach in the United States. Since 2010, there have been 32 shark attacks on New Smyrna Beach, more than any other beach in the United States. There have apparently been 120 hurricanes between 1851 and 2020, as well as 10 deaths in the surf zone.
The top four were completed by Cocoa Beach, Ormond Beach, and Panama City Beach. With 24, Panama City Beach was noted as the beach with the greatest number of fatalities in the surf zone.
Here are the beaches that made the top 10 list:
1. New Smyrna Beach, Florida: 8.14/10 danger score
2. Cocoa Beach, Florida: 7.57/10 danger score
3. Ormond Beach, Florida: 7.48/10 danger score
4. Panama City Beach, Florida: 7.16/10 danger score
5. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: 6.61/10 danger score
6. Melbourne Beach, Florida: 6.35/10 danger score
7. Jacksonville Beach, Florida: 6.02/10 danger score
8. Oak Island, North Carolina: 5.54/10 danger score
9. Gulf Shores, Alabama: 5.38/10 danger score
10. Fort Lauderdale, Florida: 5.37/10 danger score
If you’re going to the beach, the National Weather Service advises checking the surf zone prediction, any beach advisories, and knowing how to swim.
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William is the Managing Editor at FloridaInsider.com. His years of experience in journalism, broadcasting and multimedia include roles as a Writer and Web Producer. He graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science and Communication.