Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2026

Rip Current Statement 13, NWS Mobile, AL

May 18, 2026Baldwin County, Mobile County, Alabama; Escambia County, Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, Florida

NWS Mobile, AL issued this rip current statement at May 18, 2026, 1:59 AM CDT for Baldwin County, Mobile County, Alabama; Escambia County, Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, Florida. It took effect at May 19, 2026, 7:00 AM CDT. It was in force for 12 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 2026, 1:59 AM CDT (06:59 UTC)
In effect from
May 19, 2026, 7:00 AM CDT
Expired
May 19, 2026, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL

Counties Baldwin County, AL, Mobile County, AL, Escambia County, FL, Okaloosa County, FL, Santa Rosa County, FL

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:58 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

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 227 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2026-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1539 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2026-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 12 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1539 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
728 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
12 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
91 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

502 
WHUS44 KMOB 180659
CFWMOB

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Mobile AL
159 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026

ALZ265-266-FLZ202-204-206-181500-
/O.NEW.KMOB.RP.S.0013.260519T1200Z-260520T0000Z/
Mobile Coastal-Baldwin Coastal-Escambia Coastal-
Santa Rosa Coastal-Okaloosa Coastal-
159 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH
TUESDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...In Alabama, Mobile Coastal and Baldwin Coastal 
  Counties. In Florida, Escambia Coastal, Santa Rosa Coastal and 
  Okaloosa Coastal Counties.

* WHEN...From Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening.

* 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.

&&

$$
4 follow-up statements
577 
WHUS44 KMOB 181520
CFWMOB

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Mobile AL
1020 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026

ALZ265-266-FLZ202-204-206-190300-
/O.CON.KMOB.RP.S.0013.260519T1200Z-260520T0000Z/
Mobile Coastal-Baldwin Coastal-Escambia Coastal-
Santa Rosa Coastal-Okaloosa Coastal-
1020 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING
THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...In Alabama, Mobile Coastal and Baldwin Coastal 
  Counties. In Florida, Escambia Coastal, Santa Rosa Coastal and 
  Okaloosa Coastal Counties.

* WHEN...From Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening.

* 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.

&&

$$
597 
WHUS44 KMOB 190303
CFWMOB

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Mobile AL
1003 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

ALZ265-266-FLZ202-204-206-191200-
/O.CON.KMOB.RP.S.0013.260519T1200Z-260520T0000Z/
Mobile Coastal-Baldwin Coastal-Escambia Coastal-
Santa Rosa Coastal-Okaloosa Coastal-
1003 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM CDT TUESDAY
THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...In Alabama, Mobile Coastal and Baldwin Coastal 
  Counties. In Florida, Escambia Coastal, Santa Rosa Coastal and 
  Okaloosa Coastal Counties.

* WHEN...From 7 AM CDT Tuesday through Tuesday evening.

* 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.

&&

$$
441 
WHUS44 KMOB 191005
CFWMOB

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Mobile AL
505 AM CDT Tue May 19 2026

ALZ265-266-FLZ202-204-206-191815-
/O.CON.KMOB.RP.S.0013.260519T1200Z-260520T0000Z/
Mobile Coastal-Baldwin Coastal-Escambia Coastal-
Santa Rosa Coastal-Okaloosa Coastal-
505 AM CDT Tue May 19 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...In Alabama, Mobile Coastal and Baldwin Coastal 
  Counties. In Florida, Escambia Coastal, Santa Rosa Coastal and 
  Okaloosa Coastal Counties.

* WHEN...Through this evening.

* 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.

&&

$$
667 
WHUS44 KMOB 191811
CFWMOB

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Mobile AL
111 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026

ALZ265-266-FLZ202-204-206-200000-
/O.CON.KMOB.RP.S.0013.000000T0000Z-260520T0000Z/
Mobile Coastal-Baldwin Coastal-Escambia Coastal-
Santa Rosa Coastal-Okaloosa Coastal-
111 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...In Alabama, Mobile Coastal and Baldwin Coastal 
  Counties. In Florida, Escambia Coastal, Santa Rosa Coastal and 
  Okaloosa Coastal Counties.

* WHEN...Through this evening.

* 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.

&&

$$

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Florida, 2026Rip Current Statements in Alabama, 2026Every rip current statement in 2026

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.