Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2025

Rip Current Statement 96, NWS Tallahassee, FL

December 17, 20254 counties in Florida

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this rip current statement at Dec 17, 2025, 6:35 PM CST for 4 counties in Florida. It took effect at Dec 18, 2025, 9:00 AM CST. It was in force for 51 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Dec 17, 2025, 6:35 PM CST (00:35 UTC)
In effect from
Dec 18, 2025, 9:00 AM CST
Expired
Dec 20, 2025, 12:00 PM CST
In force
51 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 00:33 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, 0.6 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 2025-12-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 2025-12-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 62 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1301 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
109 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

560 
WHUS42 KTAE 180035
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
735 PM EST Wed Dec 17 2025

FLZ108-112-114-115-190800-
/O.NEW.KTAE.RP.S.0096.251218T1500Z-251219T0800Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Gulf-Coastal Franklin-
735 PM EST Wed Dec 17 2025 /635 PM CST Wed Dec 17 2025/

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

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

* WHEN...From Thursday morning through late Thursday 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.

&&

$$
3 follow-up statements
541 
WHUS42 KTAE 190541
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
1241 AM EST Fri Dec 19 2025

FLZ108-112-114-115-191345-
/O.EXT.KTAE.RP.S.0096.000000T0000Z-251220T0700Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Gulf-Coastal Franklin-
1241 AM EST Fri Dec 19 2025 /1141 PM CST Thu Dec 18 2025/

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* 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.

&&

$$
419 
WHUS42 KTAE 191635
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
1135 AM EST Fri Dec 19 2025

FLZ108-112-114-115-200700-
/O.CON.KTAE.RP.S.0096.000000T0000Z-251220T0700Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Gulf-Coastal Franklin-
1135 AM EST Fri Dec 19 2025 /1035 AM CST Fri Dec 19 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.

&&

$$
076 
WHUS42 KTAE 200524
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
1224 AM EST Sat Dec 20 2025

FLZ114-115-200630-
/O.CAN.KTAE.RP.S.0096.000000T0000Z-251220T0700Z/
Coastal Gulf-Coastal Franklin-
1224 AM EST Sat Dec 20 2025 /1124 PM CST Fri Dec 19 2025/

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IS CANCELLED...

A moderate rip current risk is forecast for Gulf and Franklin
County beaches today.

$$

FLZ108-112-201330-
/O.EXT.KTAE.RP.S.0096.000000T0000Z-251220T1800Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-
1124 PM CST Fri Dec 19 2025

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Walton and Bay County Beaches.

* WHEN...Through Saturday morning.

* 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
Dec 17, 8:49 PM CSTSmall Craft AdvisoryTAE39 hr
Dec 18, 1:06 PM CSTSpecial Marine WarningTAE84 min
Dec 18, 2:17 PM CSTSpecial Marine WarningTAE88 min
Dec 18, 3:32 PM CSTSpecial Marine WarningTAE3 hr

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.