PlainHazard

Washington rip currents and high surf

Every recorded rip current or surf record since 1996 · 16 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 27 rip current and surf records in Washington from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 2.6 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the February 12, 1997 high surf in Clallam County and Jefferson County: 3 deaths. Washington ranks 21st of 34 states and territories by count and 27th of 34 per square mile.

Rip currents and high surf in Washington, 1996 to 2026

Surf records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $1 million
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
271996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
2.6average
Deaths
112 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$6.7Mas filed
Busiest year
20155 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are rip current and surf records common in Washington?

Washington averages about 2.6 rip current and surf records a year since 2000, 21st of 34 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2015 (5). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Washington records 4.1 rip current and surf records since 1996, 27th of 34 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. Hawaii 14482
  2. 2. New Jersey 647
  3. 3. Puerto Rico 640
  4. 4. Delaware 636
  5. 5. Florida 158
  6. 6. Rhode Island 97
  7. 7. Louisiana 64
  8. 8. California 44
  9. 9. South Carolina 41
  10. 10. North Carolina 37
  11. 27. Washington 4.1

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Washington have the most rip current and surf records?

Per square mile, Wahkiakum County leads Washington: 17 days with a rip current or surf record since 1996, 64.7 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Pacific County has the most surf records (17 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

  1. Wahkiakum County 64.7 (17)
  2. Pacific County 18.2 (17)
  3. Clark County 1.6 (1)
  4. Grays Harbor County 1.1 (2)
  5. Cowlitz County 0.9 (1)
  6. Lincoln County 0.9 (2)
  7. Chelan County 0.7 (3)
  8. Skamania County 0.6 (1)
  9. Clallam County 0.6 (1)
  10. Okanogan County 0.6 (3)
  11. Spokane County 0.6 (1)
  12. Jefferson County 0.6 (1)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the surf season in Washington?

44% of its rip current and surf records since 1996 fell in December and January. The busiest month is January (8 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 8 · Feb 3 · Mar 1 · Apr 0 · May 2 · Jun 0 · Jul 4 · Aug 2 · Sep 1 · Oct 0 · Nov 2 · Dec 4 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest rip current and surf records in Washington?

Washington: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1997-02-12 High SurfClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast Three Coast Guard crew men were killed when their boat overturned in rough seas. They were on a search and rescue mission off the Quillayute River Bar when their boat capsized throwing all four of the crew overboard. One survived. It was the first fatal capsizing for that type of rescue boat in its 35 year history. 3 0 –
2018-02-02 Rip CurrentPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast No one is quite sure what happened, but two people clamming in different locations on Washington Coast beaches in Pacific County were swept away by the surf within minutes of each other. One was clamming at Oysterville beach, the other was clamming near Warrenton Cannery Road in the community of North Cove. 2 0 –
2014-07-03 Rip CurrentPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast Two siblings playing in the shore near Boldtad Beach was caught in a rip that dragged them out to sea. The older sibling, a 11 year old girl pushed her younger brother towards the shore before she drifted further out to sea and drowned. The younger boy was rescued after being in the water for 30 minutes. He was found ... 1 1 –
2016-05-22 Rip CurrentPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast A young girl was playing on the beach and ended up in deep water. No one witnessed how the girl was swept into the ocean, but it is most likely due to a rip current. She was found 500 feet from the shore and was in the water for around 30 minutes. 1 1 –
2007-07-27 Rip CurrentPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast A boogie boarder recreating in the the surf zone near Long Beach, WA drown after he was pulled out to sea by a rip tide. The Coast Guard and local Search and Rescue folks were called after the boy was reported missing, but was unable to locate him. The body was discovered the next morning near the Bolstad Approach, ... 1 0 –
2014-07-26 Rip CurrentGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast A group of eight people were caught in a rip current near Ocean Shores. All escaped to shore but one went back in to help others, was swept out to sea, became missing after a US Coast Guard and other authority search, and presumed dead. 1 0 –
2021-05-31 Rip CurrentPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast A 14 year old male was reportedly swept offshore while swimming near Long Beach, Washington. The Coast Guard Sector Columbia River and partner agencies performed search operations. After searching nearly 52 square miles, the search was suspended at 2126PST Monday. Weather was fairly benign with general seas between 3 ... 1 0 –
2021-01-10 High SurfGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast The Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office reported a fatality near the Pacific Beach State Park around 10:30 AM on January 10. A 54 year old woman from Oak Harbor, Washington was killed after being struck by a log on the beach. She and her husband were walking on the beach when a large set of waves came in and they ... 1 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest rip current and surf records in Washington

Washington: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2020-11-15 High SurfPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast 0 0 $5.7M
2022-08-04 Lind Fire · Astronomical Low TideAdams County and 2 more · forecast zone Upper Columbia Basin 0 0 $943K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are rip current and surf records becoming more frequent in Washington?

Washington's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Rip currents and high surf: Washington and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeWashingtonUnited StatesWashington's share
1996-9911,0210.10%
2000s24,3860.05%
2010s145,8100.24%
2020-26102,3460.43%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent rip current and surf records in Washington

The 10 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2022-08-04 Astronomical Low TideAdams County and 2 more · forecast zone Upper Columbia Basin 0 0 $943K
2021-05-31 Rip CurrentPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast 1 0 –
2021-01-10 High SurfGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast 1 0 –
2020-11-15 High SurfPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast 0 0 $5.7M
2018-02-02 Rip CurrentPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast 2 0 –
2016-05-22 Rip CurrentPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast 1 1 –
2014-07-26 Rip CurrentGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast 1 0 –
2014-07-03 Rip CurrentPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast 1 1 –
2007-07-27 Rip CurrentPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast 1 0 –
1997-02-12 High SurfClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast 3 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.

Federal disaster declarations for rip current and surf records in Washington

FEMA has declared 1 disaster in Washington for rip current and surf, counting its incident type and declarations that name the hazard in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 0 were major disasters, the latest on September 7, 2005.

The 12 most recent
DeclaredNumberTitleAreas named
2005-09-07EM-3227Hurricane Katrina Evacuation39

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

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