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Knowing how to navigate shoreline dangers will help you keep your family safe. BY ED BROTAK
34 » JUNE 2020 » SWFLPARENTCHILD.COM
lorida families take precautions against numerous weather hazards, things like high heat, excessive sun, violent thunderstorms and hurricanes. Even on a beautiful day, Floridians must also be aware of conditions at the beach. Many media outlets give a beach forecast that contains these weather elements, and it often comes from the official National Weather Service “Surf Zone Forecast” available at weather.gov. For their forecast,
the NWS considers the “surf zone” to extend from the high tide level on the beach out to the seaward side of the breaking waves, typically the area beachgoers will be in. Besides the weather, the beach forecast often includes water conditions such as wave heights, tide information and water temperature. If needed, the NWS may also issue a high surf advisory or warning. Officially, an advisory means “breaking wave action poses a threat to life and property within the surf zone.” Actual criteria for issuance may vary by region. A warning denotes a “heightened threat to life and property within the surf zone.”
