Rip Current Statement 10, NWS Tallahassee, FL

Issued

Dec 30, 2010, 3:36 AM CST (09:36 UTC)

In effect from

Dec 30, 2010, 4:00 AM CST

Expired

Jan 2, 2011, 6:00 AM CST

In force

3 days

Issued by

NWS Tallahassee, FL

Counties Bay County, FL, Walton County, FL

The Eglin Afb radar (KEVX), 15 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:39 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

970 
WHUS42 KTAE 300936
CFWTAE

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
436 AM EST THU DEC 30 2010

...RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT WEST OF
MEXICO BEACH ALONG THE PANHANDLE BEACHES...

.DISCUSSION...MODERATE TO FRESH SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE
OUT ACROSS THE PANHANDLE WATERS AS HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES EAST OF
THE REGION AND ANOTHER COLD FRONT SLOWLY APPROACHES FROM THE WEST
INTO THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL LEAD TO STRENGTHENING RIP CURRENTS
AND MODERATE SURF OVER THE COUPLE OF DAYS...ESPECIALLY FURTHER
WEST ALONG THE SOUTHEAST FACING BEACHES.

FLZ108-112-010945-
/O.NEW.KTAE.RP.S.0010.101230T1000Z-110102T1200Z/
SOUTH WALTON-COASTAL BAY-
336 AM CST THU DEC 30 2010

...RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT...

*SURF AND RIP CURRENTS: 3 TO 5 FEET WEST OF PANAMA CITY ALONG THE
 SOUTHEAST FACING BEACHES...1 TO 3 FEET ELSEWHERE.

*TIMING: SURF AND RIP CURRENTS WILL INCREASE TODAY AND REMAIN
 ELEVATED THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE
 SOUTHEAST FACING BEACHES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG PANHANDLE BEACHES. RIP
CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY FROM
SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS...JETTIES
AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY
ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS. IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP
CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM AND BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO
SHORE. ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE FORCE OF THE RIP CURRENT...BEGIN
TO SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST
A RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY.

$$

248 
WHUS42 KTAE 310705
CFWTAE

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
205 AM EST FRI DEC 31 2010

...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS TODAY AND SATURDAY ALONG
THE BEACHES OF THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE...

.DISCUSSION...INCREASING SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS OUT AHEAD OF 
AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO GENERATE BUILDING SURF
ACROSS THE BEACHES OF THE WESTERN FLORIDA BIG BEND AND ESPECIALLY
OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TODAY AND SATURDAY. BREAKING WAVES ARE
EXPECTED TO REACH 2 TO 4 FEET WITH HIGHER SETS TODAY AND 3 TO 5
FEET WITH HIGHER SETS ON SATURDAY AT THE BAY AND WALTON COUNTY
BEACHES...WITH SMALLER BREAKERS EXPECTED AT CAPE SAN BLAS AND
SAINT GEORGE ISLANDS. THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY ONSHORE WINDS AND
THE BUILDING SURF WILL CREATE VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AT THE
BEACHES TODAY AND SATURDAY...WITH A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS OVER
BAY AND WALTON COUNTY...AND A MODERATE RISK FURTHER TO THE EAST.

FLZ108-112-011000-
/O.CON.KTAE.RP.S.0010.000000T0000Z-110102T1200Z/
SOUTH WALTON-COASTAL BAY-
105 AM CST FRI DEC 31 2010

...A HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY
NIGHT...


* SURF AND RIP CURRENTS: TODAY... 2 TO 4 FEET WITH HIGHER SETS AT
  THE BEACHES OF BAY AND WALTON COUNTIES AND 1 TO 3 FEET WITH
  HIGHER SETS TO THE EAST. SATURDAY...3 TO 5 FEET WITH HIGHER SETS
  AT THE BEACHES OF BAY AND WALTON COUNTIES AND 2 TO 3 FEET WITH
  HIGHER SETS TO THE EAST.
 
*TIMING: SURF AND RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TODAY AND
 SATURDAY BEFORE DIMINISHING ON SUNDAY BEHIND THE APPROACHING COLD
 FRONT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE WESTERN FLORIDA 
PANHANDLE BEACHES. RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER
FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW
SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES
SUCH AS GROINS... JETTIES AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS
AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS. IF
YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM AND
BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE. ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE FORCE
OF THE RIP CURRENT...BEGIN TO SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG
SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY.

$$

17-GOULD

Rip Current Statements in Florida, 2010Every rip current statement in 2010

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.