Miami's Popular Beaches Are More Dangerous Than You Thought
By Amanda Finn
VACATIONS
Savoteur named Florida's North Beach the deadliest beach in the U.S. The rip currents and dangerous sea life alone are enough to put even the most frequent beachgoer off-kilter.
The North Beach area is known for rip currents. Rip currents move at an angle away from the shoreline, and even a strong swimmer can quickly be overtaken by the current.
The National Weather Service says, "Since 1979, rip currents [...] have claimed more lives in South Florida than any other weather-related hazard combined."
When you're dealing with Florida waters, you're also dealing with Florida sharks. Although the risk of dying from a shark attack is one in 4.3 million, it is still present.
The Miami and North Beach areas are also home to a bunch of jellyfish, including the Portuguese Man o' War, which can have a painful sting even if it's been washed up for weeks.
North Beach beaches are also sometimes closed to swimming for health reasons. In July 2024, swimming was closed due to high levels of enterococcus bacteria caused by fecal matter.