Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2026

Rip Current Statement 17, NWS Tallahassee, FL

March 15, 20264 counties in Florida

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this rip current statement at Mar 15, 2026, 6:17 PM CDT for 4 counties in Florida. It was in force for 31 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 15, 2026, 6:17 PM CDT (23:17 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 2026, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
31 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 23:18 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 12:00Z, 11.3 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 12:00Z on 2026-03-15Temperature 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 12:00Z on 2026-03-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 37 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
953 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
48 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

719 
WHUS42 KTAE 152317
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
717 PM EDT Sun Mar 15 2026

FLZ108-112-114-115-170600-
/O.NEW.KTAE.RP.S.0017.260315T2317Z-260317T0600Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Gulf-Coastal Franklin-
717 PM EDT Sun Mar 15 2026 /617 PM CDT Sun Mar 15 2026/

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

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

* WHEN...Through late Monday 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
507 
WHUS42 KTAE 160726
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
326 AM EDT Mon Mar 16 2026

FLZ108-112-114-115-170600-
/O.CON.KTAE.RP.S.0017.000000T0000Z-260317T0600Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Gulf-Coastal Franklin-
326 AM EDT Mon Mar 16 2026 /226 AM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026/

...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 Monday 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.

&&

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 15, 11:39 AM CDTFreeze WarningTAEBay, Calhoun, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty and 2 more45 hr
Mar 15, 12:57 PM CDTGale WarningTAE32 hr
Mar 15, 12:57 PM CDTSmall Craft AdvisoryTAE42 hr
Mar 15, 4:01 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningTAE116 min

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Florida, 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.