000 WHUS42 KTAE 221204 AAB CFWTAE COASTAL FLOOD STATEMENT...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 804 AM EDT THU SEP 22 2005 FLZ008-012-014-015-222000- BAY-COASTAL WALTON-FRANKLIN-GULF- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...APALACHICOLA...PANAMA CITY...PORT ST JOE... SANTA ROSA BEACH 804 AM EDT (704 AM CDT) THU SEP 22 2005 ...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EDT FRIDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE HAS ISSUED A HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR COASTAL SECTIONS FOR WALTON...BAY...GULF AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES IN THE EASTERN PANHANDLE AND THE WESTERN BIG BEND OF FLORIDA. CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE RITA WILL MOVE WEST ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO WATERS. EVEN THOUGH RITA WILL BE FAR AWAY FROM THE FLORIDA COASTLINE...LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY THE HURRICANE WILL APPROACH THE BEACHES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THESE SWELLS ALONG WITH STRONG SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL CAUSE DANGEROUS HIGH SURF ALONG THE BEACHES. MAIN RISKS FROM THE HIGH SURF WILL BE AN EXTREMELY HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS... BEACH EROSION AND MINOR COASTAL FLOODING AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE. BEACHES THAT HAVE SEEN EROSION FROM DENNIS AND KATRINA EARLIER THIS YEAR WILL BE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO EVEN MORE BEACH EROSION. MINOR COASTAL FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE. THE FOLLOWING ARE HIGH TIDES FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS ALONG THE FLORIDA COAST... DESTIN...126 AM CDT FRIDAY. PANAMA CITY BEACH...1136 PM CDT THURSDAY. APALACHICOLA...556 AM EDT AND 924 PM EDT THURSDAY...623 AM EDT FRIDAY. CARRABELLE...431 AM EDT AND 759 PM EDT THURSDAY...458 AM EDT FRIDAY. RESIDENTS ALONG THE COAST AND VISITORS TO THE BEACH SHOULD STAY OUT OF THE WATER ON AREA BEACHES UNTIL SEAS SUBSIDE EARLY THIS WEEKEND. BY VENTURING INTO THE WATER...YOU COULD BE PUTTING YOUR LIFE AT RISK DUE TO THE DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON HURRICANE RITA. $$ FLZ018-027-028-034-222000- DIXIE-JEFFERSON-TAYLOR-WAKULLA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CRAWFORDVILLE...CROSS CITY...MONTICELLO...PERRY 804 AM EDT THU SEP 22 2005 THE FOLLOWING IS A COASTAL FLOOD STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA. CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE RITA IS CONTINUING TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO TOWARD THE CENTRAL TEXAS COAST. EVEN THOUGH RITA IS LOCATED FAR AWAY FROM THE FLORIDA COAST...LARGE SWELLS HAVE BEEN GENERATED BY THE HURRICANE AND WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE BIG BEND COASTLINE THROUGH FRIDAY. THIS HIGH AND DANGEROUS SURF WILL CAUSE AN EXTREMELY HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. EVEN EXPERIENCED SWIMMERS SHOULD NOT VENTURE INTO THE WATER. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF MINOR COASTAL EROSION OR FLOODING AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY KATRINA AND DENNIS EARLIER THIS YEAR. BELOW ARE TIMES OF HIGH TIDES AT SELECTED LOCATIONS ALONG THE BIG BEND COASTLINE. BALD POINT...655 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 529 AM EDT FRIDAY. SAINT MARKS RIVER ENTRANCE...622 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 456 AM EDT FRIDAY. SUWANNEE RIVER ENTRANCE...603 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 5050 AM EDT FRIDAY. THE HIGH TIDE THAT JUST OCCURRED AROUND 600 AM EDT THIS MORNING ALONG THE BIG BEND COAST WAS ABOUT ONE TO TWO FEET ABOVE NORMAL IN SOME LOCATIONS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE NEXT HIGH TIDE THIS EVENING WILL AGAIN RUN ONE TO TWO FEET ABOVE NORMAL...WITH FRIDAY MORNING'S HIGH TIDE SLIGHTLY LOWER. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HURRICANE RITA. $$ 38-GODSEY