BlockPensacola Beach, Florida
16 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1921 and the latest in 1978. It stands in the Pensacola census division. It lies in ZIP code area 32561. It lies near Sabine Sand Hills. The Survey maps it on the Gulf Breeze quadrangle.
Then and now
1921 to 1978The same ground, surveyed 57 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.
On record in Pensacola Beach
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 16 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1921 USGS Pensacola quadrangle1:62500
- 1941 USGS Pensacola quadrangle1:62500
- 1942 USGS Pensacola quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1944 USGS Gulf Breeze quadrangle1:25000
- 1957 USGS Pensacola quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1959 USGS Pensacola quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Pensacola quadrangle1:250000
- 1969 USGS Gulf Breeze quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1978 USGS Pensacola quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
Fires near this place
42 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 42 fires within 5 miles of Pensacola Beach between 1992 and 2020, burning about 479 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 11 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 8 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 6 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 6 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Debris and open burning | 3 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 September 2019 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Gulf Island National Seashore | NLO PICNIC |
| 8 August 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Gulf Island National Seashore | NLO HQ PARKING LOT |
| 8 August 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Gulf Island National Seashore | GROUP CAMP ROAD |
| 8 August 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Gulf Island National Seashore | VILLA TRAIL |
| 29 August 1993 | Equipment and vehicle use | 40 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 2 August 2001 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 1.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 31 July 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Gulf Island National Seashore | BAYSHORE |
| 11 July 2015 | Recreation and ceremony | 16 acres | Gulf Island National Seashore | NLO FIRE |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Pensacola Beach: 1 occurrence. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed Sand and Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence |
Storms near this place
55 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Pensacola Beach in 55 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 29 rip current, 8 thunderstorm wind, 6 waterspout, 4 tornado. The reports record 27 deaths and 43 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2001 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 2 killed, 2 hurt | A 59 year old male from Tennessee and his daughters father in-law, a 60 year old male from Great Britain, both drowned while swimming in rough waters near the Santa Rosa and Escambia county lines. The male from England was swimming in the rough surf when he encountered a strong rip current. The male from Tennessee jumped in to help the man from England and they both drowned. Two firefighters attempting to rescue the men had to be pulled from the heavy surf and were transported to a local hospital. They were checked over and released. Rescuers on the scene said the surf was the roughest they had ever seen. The drownings occurred near Parking Lot number 1 east of Pensacola Beach. |
| September 2001 | Lightning | Pensacola Beach | 2 killed | Two women were killed by lightning near Pensacola Beach at the Fort Pickens State Park. The women were walking side by side on the beach as a thunderstorm moved ashore from the Gulf of Mexico. The storm had not previously been producing much lightning activity, and the women were casually walking to shelter when the bolt struck them. Both women, who were from the local area, were killed instantly. |
| June 2000 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 2 killed | Three people from Mobile (two males and a female) went to the beach to celebrate the females birthday. They were swimming in rough surf off of Pensacola Beach. The female got in a strong current and the two males tried to rescue her. Both of the males drowned in the rough surf and the female was rescued by other swimmers. |
| November 2002 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed, 6 hurt | Several people swimming in rough water at Pensacola Beach were caught in a strong rip current. A male visitor from Nebraska jumped into the water to try and rescue the swimmers. He ended up drowning in the rough surf and six other people had to be rescued and were taken to the hospital and later released.. |
| July 2008 | Lightning | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed, 1 hurt | A male was getting out of his boat to take shelter from an approaching thunderstorm when he was hit by lightning. He was taken to a local hospital and died from his lightning strike injuries a week later. |
| May 2002 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed, 1 hurt | A group of students from out of state were swimming in rough surf along an unguarded section of Pensacola Beach. Red flags, warning of dangerous rip currents, were flying at the time. The group were out in the water holding hands when a large wave broke the group apart. Two of the girls got in trouble in the rough water. Surfers were able to pull the two girls out of the water. Both were transported to the hospital. One of the girls died and the other was released after being kept overnight. The female that died didn't know how to swim. |
| April 2000 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed, 1 hurt | A second year resident at USA Medical Center drowned while swimming in rough water off of Pensacola Beach. Friends tried to save the man, but were unable to reach him. Another person had to be rescued from the rough surf. He was taken to the hospital and later released. |
| March 2003 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A nineteen year old male from the local area drowned after being swept into the gulf by a strong rip current. He was swimming with two other youths when they were pulled seaward. Two of the youths were able to get out of the rip current and swim to shore. The young men were swimming in an unguarded area of the beach. Several beach-goers tried to rescue the drowning victim, but almost drowned themselves while attempting the rescue. Yellow flags warning of dangerous rip currents were flying at the time of the drowning. |
| April 2003 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A male from Georgia drowned while trying to rescue his son who was caught in rough surf. The boy was rescued but the man died. He drowned in an unguarded part of the beach. Red flags were flying at the time of the drowning warning swimmers of dangerous surf conditions. Lifeguards rushed to the scene but were too late to save the man. |
| May 2003 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | Three people were swimming along an unguarded beach when they were caught in a rip current. Two of the swimmers were able to make it safely ashore but the third one drowned. The 15 year old males body was not found until two days later. |
| August 2003 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A thirty-two year old male from Georgia drowned while swimming in rough surf at an unguarded beach east of Casio Beach. The male went swimming with a friend when he got into trouble in the rough surf. The friend was able to make it ashore but the man drowned. Red flags warning of dangerous surf were flying at the time. |
| August 2003 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A forty-six year old male from Tennessee disappeared while swimming in rough surf. His body did not wash ashore until the next day. The male was swimming in rough surf in an unguarded area east of Casino Beach. |
| August 2003 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A thirty year old male from Texas drowned while swimming in rough surf east of Casino Beach. He was swimming in an unguarded part of the beach when he disappeared. Life guards said they had to make numerous rescues from the rough surf on Pensacola Beach that weekend. |
| August 2003 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | An eighteen year old resident alien from Mexico disappeared in rough surf near Fort Pickens. He worked for a landscaping company who were treating their employees to a day at the beach. He drowned in the rough surf. |
| June 2003 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A sixty six year old male from the local area jumped in the gulf to rescue a kid who was having trouble in the rough water. The youngster was brought ashore and was okay. The male drowned in the rough surf. Yellow flags were flying along the beach at the time of the drowning. |
| May 2002 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | An 18-year old male student drowned in rough water near an unguarded stretch of beach near Fort Pickens. Yellow Flags, warning swimmers of rough surf, were flying along the beach at the time of the drowning. The student was with a group of kids when they couldn't find him. By the time rescuers found the boy, he had drowned. |
| September 2002 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A twenty year old student from a local college had gone to Pensacola Beach with his brother. They were body surfing in waist-deep water when a rip current started pulling them out. One brother was able to make it ashore but the other one drowned in the rough water. Red flags were flying warning of very rough surf because of Tropical Storm Hanna. |
| December 2001 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | Rough surf and strong rip currents claimed the life of a man who drowned in the waters just off Pensacola Beach. |
| April 2001 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A 44 year old male from Minnesota drowned in rough surf while trying to rescue a 10 year old playing on a boogie board. The man had gone into the rough surf to save the youth and got caught in a rip current and drowned. The boy was able to safely make it to shore. The area where the drowning occurred was not patrolled by life guards. AT the time of the drowning, yellow flags were flying along the beaches alerting people of the rough surf. |
| June 2001 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A 46 year old male from Tennessee drowned in rough surf on Pensacola Beach. He went in the water to rescue his two daughters who were being pulled away from the shoreline by a strong rip current. Rescuers were able to get the two girls out of the water but the male could not be revived. |
| June 2001 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A Chicago man became the fifth person to drown over two days along the northwest Florida beaches plagued by rough surf and rip currents. Witnesses said the twenty-five year old male went into the water and was immediately pulled away from the shore. Two people tried to rescue him but were forced back by strong waves. |
| September 2000 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | Rough seas resulting from Tropical Storm Gordon, which was moving across the extreme Eastern Gulf of Mexico, claimed the life of a Louisiana man, swimming near Pensacola Beach. The man and his sister were swimming with a bodyboard, when they began having trouble in the rough seas. The woman was able to swim ashore but the man disappeared in the rough surf. His body was not found until Tuesday morning. |
| September 2000 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | A Florida man drowned while swimming in rough surf. |
| July 1996 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 killed | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 23 hurt | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 2 hurt | Several people had to be rescued from rough waters on Pensacola Beach. Red Flags were flying warning people to stay out of the water. They simply went into the water where lifeguards were not located. Two swimmers were rescued and taken to local hospitals for treatment and later released. A male walked out of the water and collapsed and died. It is still unknown what caused his death. |
| May 2003 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 2 hurt | Three males were swimming in rough water near the Gulf Islands National Seashore. They were pulled seaward by a strong current and got in trouble. Rescuers were able to pull them ashore. Two were taken to a local hospital where they were kept for observation overnight and were released the next day. |
| June 2001 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 2 hurt | Two swimmers were caught in rough surf while swimming near Pensacola Beach. They were overcome by strong rip currents. They were able to be rescued and were hospitalized and later released. |
| March 2004 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 hurt | Two girls and a male were caught in a rip current near Park East on Pensacola Beach. They were swimming in an unguarded area when they were caught in the rip current. A life guard was notified and he was able to swim to the people and get them to shore. The male was taken to the hospital and kept for several hours and then released. |
| March 2003 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 hurt | A sixteen year old female had to be pulled from rough surf at Pensacola Beach. She was transported to a local hospital where she was kept for observation for several hours and then released. She was swimming in an unguarded area of the beach when she became caught in a rip current and almost drowned. |
| April 2000 | Rip Current | Pensacola Beach | 1 hurt | A female was swimming in rough water at Pensacola Beach. She got stuck in a rip current, but was able to be rescued and was transported to a local hospital. She was released after a day or two. |
| July 2002 | Lightning | Pensacola Beach | $40,000 | Lightning struck an apartment complex on Pensacola Beach and started a fire. Significant damage was done to the apartment before the fire was put out. No one was injured in the blaze. |
| August 1995 | Tornado (F0) | Pensacola Beach | $20,000 | A tornado damaged a house on Pensacola Beach. The tornado was spawned just ahead of Hurricane Erin. |
| March 1999 | Lightning | Pensacola Beach | $15,000 | Lightning struck the toll booth leading to Pensacola Beach. The lightning left a three foot hole in the roof of the toll plaza. No one was injured, but the two toll collectors in the booth dove for cover. They said , "it was like someone taking a picture with a flash camera, right in your face." |
| March 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pensacola Beach | $5,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down on Pensacola Beach. |
| April 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pensacola Beach | $5,000 | Winds damaged a house under construction, damaged a roof at a restaurant and blew a fire station door from its hinges on Pensacola Beach. An on site survey estimated wind speeds of between 50 and 60 mph. 12,0000CST,,,0,0,500k,0,Lightning Lightning struck a restaurant on Pensacola Beach and caused a fire that destroyed the restaurant. Some automobiles in the restaurant parking lot were also damaged. |
| July 2013 | Tornado (EF0) | Pensacola Beach | $4,500 | Waterspout came ashore as a tornado near Oak Drive and quickly dissipated. A few trees were blown over onto road by tornado and a few power lines were left sagging. |
| September 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Pensacola Beach | $3,000 | A fast moving tornado moved in from the Gulf of Mexico about eight miles east of Pensacola Beach. The weak tornado remained over isolated areas and thus caused only minor damage. The weak tornado moved into Santa Rosa county southeast of Gulf Breeze. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pensacola Beach | $3,000 | Several trees were blown down on Pensacola Beach. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pensacola Beach | $2,000 | Several tree limbs and power lines were blown down on cars. Part of a house under construction had its roof blown off. |
| March 1999 | Coastal Flood | Pensacola Beach | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Pensacola Beach | - | A waterspout moved onshore Pensacola Beach just east of the pier.|This tornado first affected a light pole near the volleyball nets|just off of Casino Beach Boardwalk. This was where the tornado|was its strongest with winds somewhere between 90 to 100mph. The|tornado continued to the northeast as it weakened, impacting the|UFO mini golf building removing a chunk of roofing material and|depositing it to the northeast in the Hampton Inn parking lot. A|sign to the north at the Sideline Sports Bar and Restaurant was|knocked down. Further northeast, the Water Pig BBQ had its smoker|tossed from the building to the north around 20 to 30 yards. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pensacola Beach | - | Measured by Weatherstem site on Pensacola Beach. |
| June 2001 | Waterspout | Pensacola Beach | - | A waterspout was reported over the Gulf waters just offshore of nearby Fort Pickens State Park. The waterspout remained out over the water, where it dissipated. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pensacola Beach | - | Wind equipment on Pensacola Beach measured a peak wind gust of 79 mph as a line of thunderstorms moved through the area. The line of storms was associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Allison, which were moving east across the region. No damage was reported. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pensacola Beach | - | A wind gust of 63 mph was measured by EMA wind equipment during a thunderstorm on Pensacola Beach. No damage was found as a result of the high winds. |
| June 2000 | Waterspout | Pensacola Beach | - | A waterspout developed just offshore near Three Mile Bridge. The waterspout dissipated over the water. |
| September 1999 | Coastal Flood | Pensacola Beach | - | Minor coastal flooding was reported along the west end of State Highway 399 near Fort Pickens. Two inches of water was reported in the street but vehicles were still able to drive through without any trouble. The high water occurred around high tide and quickly went down as the tide fell.. The tide gage near downtown Pensacola reported a height of 2.61 feet around the time of flooding. |
| June 1999 | Waterspout | Pensacola Beach | - | A waterspout was observed just offshore of Pensacola Beach. The waterspout was observed by several people and was likely the same one that was observed by people off of Navarre Beach. The waterspout dissipated before moving ashore. |
| February 1998 | Hail | Pensacola Beach | - | Dime size hail was reported on the eastern end of Pensacola Beach. |
| August 1997 | Waterspout | Pensacola Beach | - | The fire department reported the sightings of at least three waterspouts just off of Pensacola Beach. The waterspouts remained offshore and dissipated before getting near the beach. |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pensacola Beach | - | no account filed |
| March 2003 | Hail | Pensacola Beach | - | no account filed |
| September 1996 | Waterspout | Pensacola Beach | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Waterspout | Pensacola Beach | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villa Sabine | 1.2 miles | 16 | |
| East Pensacola Heights | 6.9 miles | 17 | |
| Sanders Beach | 7.0 miles | 17 | |
| Pensacola | 7.4 miles | 17 | |
| Warrington | 8.1 miles | 18 | |
| Fort Pickens | 8.6 miles | 20 | |
| Brownsville | 8.8 miles | 18 | |
| Goulding | 8.8 miles | 17 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Pensacola Beach | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q7164674 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 288699. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.