Florida: Home to some of the nation’s deadliest beaches 

Florida is home to seven of the nation’s top 10 deadliest beaches, according to a recent analysis that looks at shark attacks, hurricane frequency, and surf fatalities. 

New Smyrna Beach ranked number one as America’s “deadliest beach.” Since 2010, the beach has had ten surf fatalities, 32 shark attacks, and has been hit with 120 hurricanes between 1851 and 2020, the analysis found. 

In second place is Cocoa Beach, which has had seven fatal shark attacks, seven surf zone fatalities, and 120 hurricanes. Coming in third place is Ormond Beach, which has been hit with just as many hurricanes, and has seen eight surf fatalities and four shark attacks since 2010. 

The “America’s 10 ‘deadliest’ beaches to visit” list was conducted by Travel Lens, an online travel publication. It used data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Shark Institute to conduct the analysis. 

"Florida was the state most affected by hurricanes which explains why seven out of the top 10 most dangerous beaches are found in this state," Travel Lens said. 

Here is the complete list of the top ten most dangerous beaches in the nation:

1. New Smyrna Beach, Florida - 8.14/10 danger score
2. Cocoa Beach, Florida - 7.57/10 danger score
3. Ormond Beach, Florida - 7.48/10 danger score
4. Panama City Beach, Florida - 7.16/10 danger score
5. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - 6.61/10 danger score
6. Melbourne Beach, Florida - 6.35/10 danger score
7. Jacksonville Beach, Florida - 6.02/10 danger score
8. Oak Island, North Carolina - 5.54/10 danger score
9. Gulf Shores, Alabama - 5.38/10 danger score
10. Fort Lauderdale, Florida - 5.37/10 danger score