A trip to the beach in Florida is the highlight of many vacations.
But there is more to consider than fun in the sun.
And Ron DeSantis was stunned by this scary reality about a trip to the beach.
Florida dominates a list of the most dangerous beaches
The sunny weather and endless beaches draw tourists from all over the world to Florida for vacation.
Florida’s beaches frequently show up on lists ranking the best beaches in the country.
But a new study found that beachgoers in the Sunshine State have something else to worry about besides sun, waves, and sand.
Researchers at Simmrin Law came up with a list of the most dangerous beaches in the country.
They developed a set of three criteria to rank the beaches in order of danger: shark attacks, risk of hurricanes, and surf zone fatalities like undertow and rip currents.
Simmrin Law found that the 10 most dangerous beaches in the country are all in Florida.
New Smyrna Beach, Florida on the state’s Atlantic coast ranked as the most dangerous beach in the country.
Simmrin Law said that it topped the list for reported shark attacks with 185 as well as being at high risk of being hit by a hurricane.
Panama City Beach, Daytona Beach, Miami Beach, and Cocoa Beach rounded out the top five in the rankings.
Simmrin Law Group lead attorney Michael Simmrin said that the risk of hurricanes put Florida beaches over the top.
“While shark attacks often grab headlines, Florida’s beaches rank so high due to the ever-present hurricane risk,” Simmrin said. “Hurricanes create dangerous rip currents and storm surge, raising the overall risk for beachgoers. With summer approaching and vacations on the minds of many Americans, this study shows the importance of putting safety first when considering a trip to the beach.”
The only beach in the top 25 of the ranking of the most dangerous that was not in Florida was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Florida ranked as the top spot in the world for shark attacks
The Sunshine State picked up the top spot in another inglorious ranking.
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File found that the state has the most unprovoked shark attacks of any location around the globe.
Volusia County, Florida, home of New Smyrna Beach, was the top spot for unprovoked shark attacks with 351 since 1882.
Brevard County is second with 158 shark attacks.
The museum defines unprovoked shark attacks as “incidents in which a bite on a live human occurs in the shark’s natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark.”
Shark attacks are most likely to occur in Florida during July, August, and October according to the museum.
Florida’s beaches may score high in the danger rankings but that has not slowed down tourists looking for fun in the sun.
The Sunshine State has smashed tourism records under the leadership of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
