What you need to know about rip currents at the beaches and how to escape one

Red flags are flying again along the Florida coast because of rip currents caused by bad weather out in the Atlantic.

Nearly 300 people had to be rescued along Volusia County’s beaches last weekend alone, and one person was caught in a rip current and drowned.

Rip currents occur all year round in Florida, but they become more noticeable in the summer when more people venture out into the warmer water. Rip currents are fast narrow currents that flow away from shore.

Rip currents on the east coast of Florida form when there is a strong east breeze. Large swells push water toward the coast, building up pressure. That release comes in the form of rip currents, narrow pathways for water to move back out to sea.

Beachgoers assume if the water is calm, the threat of rip currents is less. Tha