Sharks, lightning, rough surf: The most dangerous beaches in Florida, by the numbers

Heading to the beach? Have a great time! Just watch for sharks. And lightning. And rip currents. And hurricanes.

In 2023, seven of the 10 most dangerous beaches in the U.S., according to the online travel site Travel Lens, were in Florida based on shark bites, surf fatalities, hurricane frequency and more.

Keep in mind, part of that is surely because 825 miles of our 1,350 miles of coast are sandy beaches, some of the most beautiful in the country. Only Alaska has more coastline and we're a lot warmer. Florida has the third-largest population in the U.S. and every year millions of people visit just to head to the beach (or to see Disney World, but many of them hit the beach, too). More people means better odds of someone getting hurt.

But just so you're aware of the potential threats, these may be the most dangerous beaches in Florida.

What is the most dangerous beach in Florida for shark bites?

New Smyrna Beach, the "shark bite capital of the world," hands down, is the most dangerous beach in Florida for shark bites.

Florida had 16 reported unprovoked shark bites in 2023, according to a study released by the Florida Program for Shark Research. That's the most of any state and twice that of the next closest one (Hawaii, with 8). Half of those 16 bites were in Volusia County, and five were in New Smyrna Beach just south of Daytona Beach.

Volusia County in total has reported 351 unprovoked shark bites since 1882, according to the program's International Shark Attack File, twice the next closest county of Brevard with 158.

Why? Lots of people, lots of swimmers, lots of fishing (which means lots of bait fish), lots of surfers. The Ponce Inlet/New Smyrna Beach area is popular with surfers and that churns up the water and lowers visibility.

The locals are fully aware of this, of course. You can buy Shark Bite Capital T-shirts, for a while there was a Shark Park attraction (now closed), and in 2022 decorative shark statues designed by local artists and high school students were installed around town.

How to avoid danger or shark attacks in Florida:

• Swim in a group, sharks are more likely to attack a single person.
• Swim only near lifeguards.
• Don't go in at dawn or dusk, when sharks are most active.
• Avoid shiny jewelry, which can resemble fish scales.
• Don't go in the water if you're bleeding.
• Be careful around sandbars and near steep drop-offs, these are favorite hangouts for sharks.
• Use extra caution when waters are murky.
• Avoid excess splashing, which can draw a shark's attention.
• Don't swim where fishermen are fishing or a lot of baitfish are swimming around.
• Get out of the water if sharks are sighted.

Duuuunnnnn dunn:Florida leads US again in number of shark attacks. See what 2023 report had to say

What is the most dangerous beach in Florida for lightning strikes?

Florida gets a lot of lightning, more than anywhere else in the country. A 10-year study found that on average, the Sunshine State gets 3,500 cloud-to-ground lightning flashes per day and 1.2 million per year. And sometimes it hits people. Sometimes it kills them.

USA TODAY reported in 2023 that Florida also lead the U.S. in deaths by lightning strikes with 85 since 2006. From 1959 to 2017, Florida saw 498 fatal lightning strikes, more than twice as many as the next state (Texas, with 226).

Since 2000, 17 people in Panama City Beach have been killed by lightning.

Studies have found that over 70% of the lightning deaths happened in June, July and August, with slightly more happening on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (likely due to more people outdoors, on beaches and golf courses and in parks).

(It's not a beach, but the single most lightning-dense area in the United States is an unincorporated community in Florida just west of Disney World called Four Corners. A study from environmental technology company Vaisala found that in 2022, Four Corners saw 474 lightning events per square kilometer, or 1,229 lightning events per square mile.)

How to avoid danger from thunder and lightning in Florida:

• Go indoors or get in your vehicle when storms approach.
• Avoid trees and open-sided shelters.
• Avoid contact with running water.
• Avoid contact with electrical systems such as computers or game systems.

What is the most dangerous beach in Florida for surfers?

According to TravelLens, the popular spring break destination Panama City Beach won that dubious title due to the 24 surf zone deaths that occurred between 2010 and 2023.

The second-most dangerous beach for surfers was Daytona Beach, which had 16 in the same period.

How to avoid danger:

• Don't surf alone.
• Use the right equipment.
• Know the area and read forecasts.
• Pay attention to everything.
• Don't stand up too fast.
• Avoid surfing before or during a hurricane or tropical storm, which Panama City Beach officials attributed to several of their incidents.

In 2023, Panama City Beach made several most-dangerous-beach lists for another reason.

What Florida beach had the most drownings?

From June 15-24, 2023, seven people died after swimming in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City Beach (one was outside the city limits on an unincorporated Bay County beach). That's the most drownings in one location in the U.S. that year, according to a National Weather Service database.

That's not the fault of the beach, though. Officials say six of them happened under double red flags, which means the ocean was closed to the public due to dangerous rip currents and the swimmers, all tourists, apparently went in anyway. Only surfers tethered to a surfboard are allowed to enter the Gulf during double red flags.

The other drowning was a tourist who went swimming under a single red flag, which designates high surf and strong currents.

"Any and every loss of life is a tragedy," the city said in a release. "The city considers these drownings heart-wrenching, unnecessary and preventable.”

Rip currents are river-like underwater currents in the surf zone (from the beach to past the breaking waves) that are moving away from the beach. Powerful rip currents can pull people out into the ocean or just wear them out as they try to swim to shore.

How to avoid danger:

• Check out the surf zone forecast before you go.
• Know how to swim and swim near a lifeguard.
• Bring flotation devices or a United States Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
• Swim near friends.
• Know the beach's address should you need to call for help.
• Know the location of life stations on the beach equipped with life rings that could be thrown to someone in trouble.
• Pay attention to any hazard flags posted at the beach or at lifeguard stations and chairs.