Volusia County and Bay County, Florida, share the title of having the deadliest beaches in the US, according to a recent analysis by lawsuit loan company Uplift Legal Funding.
The study examined National Weather Service (NWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data from 2016 through 2025 to track surf zone fatalities resulting from high surf, rip currents, or sneaker waves. Over that 10-year period, rip currents accounted for three out of every five total deaths in the study. Additionally, 33.4% of fatalities with an attached narrative involved a minor, while 12.2% were bystanders who died attempting to rescue someone else.
Deadliest US beach counties ranked
| Rank | County | State | Recorded surf zone deaths | Deaths attributed to rip currents | Named beaches with recorded deaths | Deadliest beach in county | Deaths at that beach |
| =1 | Bay | FL | 39 | 33 | N/A* | Panama City Beach | 37 |
| =1 | Volusia | FL | 39 | 32 | N/A* | Daytona Beach | 17 |
| =2 | Baldwin | AL | 25 | 24 | N/A* | Fort Morgan | 10 |
| =2 | Dare | NC | 25 | 16 | 12 | Rodanthe Beach | 4 |
| 3 | Galveston | TX | 24 | 17 | N/A* | Galveston Beach | 17 |
| 4 | Brevard | FL | 23 | 22 | N/A* | Cocoa Beach | 7 |
| 5 | Carteret | NC | 21 | 15 | N/A* | Emerald Isle | 12 |
| 6 | Cook | IL | 20 | 6 | N/A* | Chicago lakefront | 15 |
| =7 | Horry | SC | 19 | 10 | N/A* | Myrtle Beach | 13 |
| =7 | Monterey | CA | 19 | 4 | N/A* | Garrapata State Park | 4 |
Bay County, Florida – 39 total deaths (33 from rip currents). Panama City Beach was the deadliest individual beach in the study, with 37 deaths, while St Andrews Beach contributed two.
Volusia County, Florida – 39 total deaths (32 from rip currents). Daytona Beach was the county’s deadliest location, with 17 fatalities, followed by New Smyrna Beach with eight and Ormond Beach with seven.
Baldwin County, Alabama – 25 total deaths (24 from rip currents). Beaches around Fort Morgan were the deadliest, recording 10 fatalities.
Dare County, North Carolina – 25 total deaths across 12 beaches (16 from rip currents). Rodanthe Beach was the deadliest, with four fatalities.
Galveston County, Texas – 24 total deaths (17 from rip currents). Galveston Beach accounted for 17 of these fatalities.
Brevard County, Florida – 23 total deaths (22 from rip currents). Cocoa Beach was the deadliest location, with seven fatalities.
Carteret County, North Carolina – 21 total deaths (15 from rip currents). Beaches on Emerald Isle were the deadliest, with 12 fatalities.
Cook County, Illinois – 20 total deaths, making it the deadliest county on the Great Lakes. The Chicago lakefront claimed 15 fatalities. High surf caused eight deaths, six were attributed to rip currents, and six resulted from factors such as structural currents.
Horry County, South Carolina – 19 total deaths (10 from rip currents). Myrtle Beach was the deadliest location, with 13 fatalities.
Monterey County, California – 19 total deaths, making it the deadliest Pacific coast county. Garrapata State Park was the deadliest location, with four fatalities. High surf caused 14 deaths, while four were attributed to rip currents.
Expert advice on ocean safety
Jared Stern, Founder of Uplift Legal Funding, commented on the geographical and seasonal factors driving the numbers: “Volusia and Bay counties ranked top for recorded surf zone deaths. While a lot of this is because of how many visitors flock to the Sunshine State’s beaches each year, it’s also due to Florida’s geography. The state often receives strong winds coming in from the Atlantic Ocean, and these strong winds blowing onshore help rip currents to form.”
“Deaths from rip currents peak in summer, and August is one of the deadliest months for them. They can easily catch people off guard and can pull even the strongest swimmers out to sea. They account for over 80% of rescues performed by surf beach lifeguards, and three out of every five deaths in the study were attributed to them, so it pays to familiarise yourself with recommendations about swimming in surf zones from the likes of the US Lifesaving Association.”
Safety recommendations suggest staying out of the water if someone is caught in a rip current and calling 911 immediately if no lifeguards are present. Swimmers should throw a flotation device or any floating object to the victim while instructing them to swim parallel to the shore out of the current, and then at an angle towards the beach.