Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2026

Rip Current Statement 53, NWS Tallahassee, FL

July 26, 2026Bay County, Gulf County, Walton County, Florida

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this rip current statement at Jul 26, 2026, 3:03 AM CDT for Bay County, Gulf County, Walton County, Florida. It took effect at Jul 26, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT. It was in force for 65 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 26, 2026, 3:03 AM CDT (08:03 UTC)
In effect from
Jul 26, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT
Expired
Jul 29, 2026, 4:00 AM CDT
In force
65 hr
Issued by
NWS Tallahassee, FL

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

The radar

The Eglin Afb radar (KEVX), 41 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:04 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, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 341 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 2026-07-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 37 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 2026-07-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -14 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
37 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-172 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1153 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-1 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

516 
WHUS42 KTAE 260803
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
403 AM EDT Sun Jul 26 2026

FLZ108-112-114-271000-
/O.NEW.KTAE.RP.S.0053.260726T1600Z-260728T0900Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Gulf-
403 AM EDT Sun Jul 26 2026 /303 AM CDT Sun Jul 26 2026/

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

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

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

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

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Surf heights building to 2 to 3 feet on
  Sunday afternoon.

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
546 
WHUS42 KTAE 270659
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
259 AM EDT Mon Jul 27 2026

FLZ108-112-114-280900-
/O.CON.KTAE.RP.S.0053.000000T0000Z-260728T0900Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Gulf-
259 AM EDT Mon Jul 27 2026 /159 AM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026/

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

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

* WHEN...Through late tonight.

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

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Surf heights 2 to 3 feet.

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.

&&

$$
388 
WHUS42 KTAE 280842
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
442 AM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

FLZ108-112-280945-
/O.EXP.KTAE.RP.S.0053.000000T0000Z-260728T0900Z/
South Walton-Coastal Bay-
342 AM CDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK WILL EXPIRE AT 4 AM CDT EARLY THIS
MORNING...


$$

FLZ114-290900-
/O.EXT.KTAE.RP.S.0053.000000T0000Z-260729T0900Z/
Coastal Gulf-
442 AM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026 /342 AM CDT Tue Jul 28 2026/

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Gulf County Beaches.

* WHEN...Through late tonight.

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

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Westerly winds and swell today will favor
  the west-facing beach of Gulf County for a High Risk of Rip
  Currents.

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.

&&

$$
105 
WHUS42 KTAE 281516
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
1116 AM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

FLZ112-290900-
/O.EXA.KTAE.RP.S.0053.000000T0000Z-260729T0900Z/
Coastal Bay-
1016 AM CDT Tue Jul 28 2026

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Bay 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.

&&

$$

FLZ114-290900-
/O.CON.KTAE.RP.S.0053.000000T0000Z-260729T0900Z/
Coastal Gulf-
1116 AM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026 /1016 AM CDT Tue Jul 28 2026/

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Gulf 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.

&&

$$
351 
WHUS42 KTAE 290824
CFWTAE

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
424 AM EDT Wed Jul 29 2026

FLZ112-114-300900-
/O.NEW.KTAE.RP.S.0054.260729T1900Z-260730T0900Z/
/O.CON.KTAE.RP.S.0053.000000T0000Z-260729T0900Z/
Coastal Bay-Coastal Gulf-
424 AM EDT Wed Jul 29 2026 /324 AM CDT Wed Jul 29 2026/

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM EDT /2 PM CDT/ THIS 
AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Bay and Gulf County Beaches.

* WHEN...From 3 PM EDT /2 PM CDT/ this afternoon through late 
  tonight.

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

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...West winds will increase this afternoon,
  raising the rip current risk along the west- and southwest-
  facing beaches of Bay and Gulf Counties.

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
Jul 26, 11:54 AM CDTHeat AdvisoryTAEBay, Calhoun, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf and 11 more31 hr
Jul 26, 11:54 AM CDTExtreme Heat WatchTAEBay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes and 7 more28 hr
Jul 26, 12:33 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTAEMadison42 min
Jul 26, 1:16 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTAEFranklin44 min
Jul 26, 1:19 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningTAE116 min
Jul 26, 1:54 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTAEFranklin, Gulf51 min
Jul 26, 3:01 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTAEDixie29 min
Jul 26, 3:03 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningTAE29 min
Jul 26, 3:04 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTAEBay26 min
Jul 26, 4:35 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTAELafayette40 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.