Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2025

Rip Current Statement 40, NWS Tallahassee, FL

May 20, 20254 counties in Florida

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this rip current statement at May 20, 2025, 3:51 AM CDT for 4 counties in Florida. It took effect at May 20, 2025, 11:00 AM CDT. It was in force for 38 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 20, 2025, 3:51 AM CDT (08:51 UTC)
In effect from
May 20, 2025, 11:00 AM CDT
Expired
May 22, 2025, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
38 hr
Issued by
NWS Tallahassee, FL

Counties Bay County, FL, Franklin County, FL, Gulf County, FL, Walton County, FL

The radar

The Eglin Afb radar (KEVX), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:55 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 360 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2025-05-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 723 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2025-05-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 58 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
723 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-62 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1192 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
58 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
93 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

090 
WHUS42 KTAE 200851
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
451 AM EDT Tue May 20 2025

FLZ108-112-114-115-211300-
/O.NEW.KTAE.RP.S.0040.250520T1600Z-250522T0600Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Gulf-Coastal Franklin-
451 AM EDT Tue May 20 2025 /351 AM CDT Tue May 20 2025/

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM NOON EDT /11 AM CDT/
TODAY THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Walton, Bay, Gulf, and Franklin County Beaches.

* WHEN...From noon EDT /11 AM CDT/ today through late Wednesday 
  night.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and
float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a
direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the
shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
654 
WHUS42 KTAE 211413
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
1013 AM EDT Wed May 21 2025

FLZ108-112-114-115-220600-
/O.CON.KTAE.RP.S.0040.000000T0000Z-250522T0600Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Gulf-Coastal Franklin-
1013 AM EDT Wed May 21 2025 /913 AM CDT Wed May 21 2025/

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Walton, Bay, Gulf, and Franklin County Beaches.

* WHEN...Through late tonight.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and
float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a
direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the
shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tallahassee, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 6:01 AM CDTDense Fog AdvisoryTAECalhoun, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon and 5 more119 min

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Florida, 2025Every rip current statement in 2025

Sources

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.