Rip Current Statement 6, NWS Tallahassee, FL

Issued

Mar 3, 2012, 2:40 AM CST (08:40 UTC)

In effect from

Mar 3, 2012, 6:00 AM CST

Expired

Mar 3, 2012, 2:00 PM CST

In force

8 hr

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 08:39 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.

403 
WHUS42 KTAE 030840
CFWTAE

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
340 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012

...A HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM CST THIS
MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE BEACHES OF WALTON AND BAY
COUNTIES IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...

.A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL RACE ACROSS THE PANHANDLE INTO THIS
AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF STRONG SOUTHWEST THEN WEST WINDS
WITH HIGHER GUSTS PLUS ELEVATED SURF WILL GENERATE HIGH RIP
CURRENT RISK CONDITIONS. AFTER THE FRONT EXITS AND WINDS SHIFT TO
OFFSHORE...THE THREAT OF HIGH RIP CURRENTS WILL END FROM WEST TO
EAST.

FLZ108-112-032000-
/O.NEW.KTAE.RP.S.0006.120303T1200Z-120303T2000Z/
SOUTH WALTON-COASTAL BAY-
240 AM CST SAT MAR 3 2012

...RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM CST THIS MORNING THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE HAS ISSUED A RIP
CURRENT RISK...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM CST THIS MORNING
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. 

* WAVES AND SURF...2 TO 3 FEET WITH ISOLATED 4 FEET EARLY. 

* TIMING...INTO THIS AFTERNOON. 

* IMPACTS...WIND AND SURF CONDITIONS SUPPORT DANGEROUS RIP
  CURRENTS TODAY. RIP CURRENTS ARE LIFE THREATENING TO ANYONE
  ENTERING THE WATER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. 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. 

&&

$$


BLOCK

Rip Current Statements in Florida, 2012Every rip current statement in 2012

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.