Panama City Beach remains under high risk rip current warning: What to know

Panama City beach goers should remain cautious of life-threatening rip currents as they hit the waters this weekend, authorities say.

Strong rip currents in Panama City Beach killed four in 48 hours last week, including three Alabama residents Friday evening. The area, as well as Florida beaches in Bay, Walton, Gulf and Franklin County, remain under a high risk rip current warning through Monday night, according to the National Weather Service.

Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that are found along the Gulf Coast and the U.S. West coast, along the shores of the Great Lakes.

High risk warnings mean that there is a 60-70% chance of a deadly rip current in the surf zone. Moderate warnings mean that life-threatening rip currents are possible in the area.

“The issue is much like tornado warnings and getting people to take them seriously,” Alabama meterologist James Spann wrote in a Facebook post Saturday. “Understand rip currents can be deadly for young, strong swimmers. It doesn’t matter. Please take the flags seriously if you are beach bound this summer.”

Beachgoers are urged to be aware of what color beach flags are flying. A double red flag means that the water is closed to the public, but the beach remains open. Panama City Beach is currently under a single red flag warning.

• Yellow flags: Medium Hazard – Moderate surf and/or currents
• Purple flags: Marine Pests are Present – Exercise caution
• Single red flag: High Hazard – High surf and/or strong currents
• Double red flags: Water Closed To The Public – It is illegal to enter the Gulf of Mexico within the corporate limits of either city when two red flags are displayed.

Florida is the number one zone for rip current deaths, according to a recent analysis of NWS data. In 2023, Panama City rip currents claimed more lives than anywhere else in the United States, according to a USA Today report.

In Alabama, 25 deaths have been attributed to rip currents from 2017-2023, the fourth highest in the United States.

Read more: As rip current drownings rise, Alabama officials and others ponder: What is right approach?

Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water, experts say.

The Birmingham-area fathers killed Friday were in chest-deep water when they became distressed and were quickly swept away in the current, according to the Bay Area Sheriff’s Office. A 19-year-old swimmer also drowned during a red flag advisory in Panama City Beach Thursday, WJHG reported.

Alabama and Pensacola-area beaches are seeing moderate rip current risks through Tuesday. Those areas include Fort Morgan, Dauphin Island, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Fort Walton and Destin.

If you are caught in a rip current, according to NWS:

• Remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.
• Never fight against the current.
• Think of it like a treadmill that cannot be turned off, which you need to step to the side of.
• Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim at an angle – away from the current-towards shore.
• If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.
• If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving your arm and yelling for help.

Helping someone who is caught in a rip current can also be dangerous. Here are NWS tips if you see someone caught in a rip current:

• Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard-protected beach.
• Never swim alone.
• Learn how to swim in the surf. It’s not the same as swimming in a pool or lake.
• Be cautious at all times, especially when swimming at unguarded beaches. If in doubt, don’t go out.
• Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards. Lifeguards are trained to identify potential hazards. Ask a lifeguard about the conditions before entering the water. This is part of their job.
• Stay at least 100 feet away from piers and jetties. Permanent rip currents often exist alongside these structures.
• Pay especially close attention to children and elderly when at the beach. Even in shallow water, wave action can cause loss of footing.
• Get help from a lifeguard.
• If a lifeguard s not available, have someone call 9-1-1.
• Throw the rip current victim something that floats–a lifejacket, a cooler, an inflatable ball.
• Yell instructions on how to escape.
• Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.