Seven of America's Deadliest Beaches Are In Florida
When thinking of the beautiful, sandy beaches here in Sunny Florida, the first thing that comes to mind certainly isn't deadliest. At least it isn't for me. I prefer to think of the perfect weather all year round and exploring for shells.
Sure, we all know there are creatures lurking around out there deep at sea, but they won't get us, right? Of course, there are hurricanes. We know of those all too well here in Southwest Florida after Hurricane Ian destroyed much of our beaches in September 2022.
The folks over at Travel Lens wanted to find out which beaches are more deadly than others. To do this they considered several factors, such as fatalities, to discover which beaches in the US present the biggest dangers to visitors. They also looked at the number of surf zone fatalities, the number of shark attacks, and the number of hurricanes to determine which beaches across the coast are the most dangerous to visit.
What did they find? The majority of the deadliest beaches in the country are right here at home, in the Sunshine State.
Check out the list below of America's 10 most deadliest beaches.
10. Fort Lauderdale, FL
9. Gulf Shores, AL
- # of Surf Zone Fatalities Since 2010: 5
- # of Shark Attacks Since 2010: 3
- # of Hurricanes Between 1851 and 2020: 23
- Overall Danger Score: 5.38
8. Oak Island, NC
- # of Surf Zone Fatalities Since 2010: 8
- # of Shark Attacks Since 2010: 2
- # of Hurricanes Between 1851 and 2020: 58
- Overall Danger Score: 5.54
7. Jacksonville, FL
- # of Surf Zone Fatalities Since 2010: 3
- # of Shark Attacks Since 2010: 3
- # of Hurricanes Between 1851 and 2020: 120
- Overall Danger Score: 6.02
6. Melbourne Beach, FL
- # of Surf Zone Fatalities Since 2010: 3
- # of Shark Attacks Since 2010: 6
- # of Hurricanes Between 1851 and 2020: 120
- Overall Danger Score: 6.35
5. Myrtle Beach, SC
- # of Surf Zone Fatalities Since 2010: 15
- # of Shark Attacks Since 2010: 9
- # of Hurricanes Between 1851 and 2020: 31
- Overall Danger Score: 6.61
4. Panama City Beach, FL
- # of Surf Zone Fatalities Since 2010: 24
- # of Shark Attacks Since 2010: 2
- # of Hurricanes Between 1851 and 2020: 120
- Overall Danger Score: 7.16
3. Ormond Beach, FL
- # of Surf Zone Fatalities Since 2010: 8
- # of Shark Attacks Since 2010: 4
- # of Hurricanes Between 1851 and 2020: 120
- Overall Danger Score: 7.48
2. Cocoa Beach, FL
- # of Surf Zone Fatalities Since 2010: 7
- # of Shark Attacks Since 2010: 7
- # of Hurricanes Between 1851 and 2020: 120
- Overall Danger Score: 7.57
1. New Smyrna Beach, FL
- # of Surf Zone Fatalities Since 2010: 10
- # of Shark Attacks Since 2010: 32
- # of Hurricanes Between 1851 and 2020: 120
- Overall Danger Score: 8.14
