FL - Florida: Home to many of the country's 'most dangerous' beaches
The 10 'deadliest' US beaches for hurricanes, surfing and shark attacks. How to stay safe
Florida’s New Smyrna Beach was dubbed the "deadliest beach" in the U.S. in a recent analysis looking at surf fatalities, hurricane frequency, and shark attacks.
Travel Lens, an online travel publication, used data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and The Shark Institute to determine America’s 10 “deadliest” beaches to visit.
Since 2010, New Smyrna Beach has faced 10 surf zone fatalities and twice as many shark attacks as any other beach (32; surf zone fatalities and shark attack data is current through Jan. 13, 2023). The coastal town has also been hit with 120 hurricanes between 1851 and 2020, according to NOAA.
In second place is nearby Cocoa Beach, Florida, which has had as many surf zone fatalities as shark attacks (seven each), and 120 hurricanes.
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Where are America's most dangerous beaches?
Here're the 10 most dangerous beaches from Travel Lens' list:
- New Smyrna Beach, Florida - 8.14/10 danger score
- Cocoa Beach, Florida - 7.57/10 danger score
- Ormond Beach, Florida - 7.48/10 danger score
- Panama City beach, Florida - 7.16/10 danger score
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - 6.61/10 danger score
- Melbourne Beach, Florida - 6.35/10 danger score
- Jacksonville Beach, Florida - 6.02/10 danger score
- Oak Island, North Carolina - 5.54/10 danger score
- Gulf Shores, Alabama - 5.38/10 danger score
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida - 5.37/10 danger score
How to stay safe at the beach
To stay safe, you need to stay aware of the local weather and ocean conditions, such as tide forecasts, dangerous currents or other beach hazards, according to the National Weather Service.
