000 WHUS42 KTAE 091853 CFWTAE URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 253 PM EDT TUE SEP 9 2008 ...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND FLORIDA BIG BEND COASTS... .A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN HURRICANE IKE TO THE SOUTH OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AND AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE MID ATLANTIC STATES WILL CREATE A LONG PERIOD OF STRONG EASTERLY TO SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS OVER THE COASTAL AREAS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND. THIS WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR COASTAL FLOODING ALONG THE COAST STARTING WEDNESDAY EVENING AND CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY EVENING...MAXIMIZED IN THE FLORIDA BIG BEND. HIGH SURF...WHICH WILL LIKELY CAUSE MODERATE BEACH EROSION ESPECIALLY FROM SAINT GEORGE ISLAND WESTWARD...WILL BEGIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY. FLZ008-012-014-015-018-027-028-034-101800- /O.NEW.KTAE.CF.A.0003.080911T0000Z-080912T0000Z/ COASTAL WALTON-BAY-GULF-FRANKLIN-JEFFERSON-WAKULLA-TAYLOR-DIXIE- 253 PM EDT TUE SEP 9 2008 /153 PM CDT TUE SEP 9 2008/ ...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE HAS ISSUED A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR AREAS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST FROM THE SUWANNEE RIVER ENTRANCE WESTWARD TO DESTIN. STRONG EAST TO SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL PUSH WATER INTO THE COASTLINE BEGINNING WEDNESDAY EVENING. THIS RISING WATER COMBINING WITH HIGH ASTRONOMICAL TIDES WILL LIKELY PRODUCE A PERIOD OF COASTAL FLOODING ALL ALONG THE COAST. THE EFFECT OF THIS FLOODING WILL BE MAXIMIZED AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE. AREAS PREVIOUSLY IMPACTED BY HURRICANE GUSTAV WILL BE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO COASTAL FLOODING AND BEACH EROSION. AT THIS TIME...AREAS FROM THE AUCILLA RIVER TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER ENTRANCE CAN EXPECT STORM TIDE VALUES...WHICH IS THE HEIGHT ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER...OF 3 TO 5 FEET AROUND HIGH TIDE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. AREAS FROM CAPE SAN BLAS TO SAINT MARKS CAN EXPECT STORM TIDE VALUES BETWEEN 4 TO 7 FEET AROUND THE HIGH TIDE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. AREAS FROM DESTIN TO MEXICO BEACH CAN EXPECT STORM TIDE VALUES BETWEEN 2 TO 4 FEET AROUND HIGH TIDE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. BELOW ARE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE AND LOW TIDE AT SELECTED LOCATIONS ALONG THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND COASTLINES... SUWANNEE RIVER ENTRANCE...HIGH TIDE 1248 AM THURSDAY...LOW TIDE 555 AM THURSDAY...HIGH TIDE 1135 AM THURSDAY. SHELL POINT...HIGH TIDE 115 AM THURSDAY...LOW TIDE 620 AM THURSDAY...HIGH TIDE 1227 AM THURSDAY. SAINT GEORGE ISLAND...HIGH TIDE 138 AM THURSDAY...LOW TIDE 513 AM THURSDAY...HIGH TIDE 1042 AM THURSDAY. NOTE THAT THE LOW TIDE AMPLITUDE AT THESE THREE SITES IS ONLY AROUND HALF A FOOT LOWER THAN THE HIGH TIDE. THIS MAY LEAD TO A PROLONGED PERIOD OF INUNDATION IN LOW LYING AREAS ALONG THE COAST. AT PANAMA CITY...HIGH TIDE 611 AM THURSDAY...LOW TIDE 425 PM THURSDAY. AT DESTIN...HIGH TIDE 755 AM THURSDAY...LOW TIDE 637 PM THURSDAY. HIGH SURF OF 9 TO 13 FEET...WITH HIGHER SETS UP TO 15 FEET WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY ALONG THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE COAST FROM DESTIN TO SAINT GEORGE ISLAND IN FRANKLIN COUNTY. MUCH LOWER SURF HEIGHTS OF 3 TO 6 FEET ARE EXPECTED EAST OF SAINT GEORGE ISLAND TO ALLIGATOR POINT. A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR COASTAL FLOODING ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. COASTAL RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS...AND TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY. $$ GODSEY