000 WHUS42 KTAE 221640 CFWTAE BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED COASTAL FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 1239 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2005 FLZ008-012-014-015-027-230230- BAY FL-COASTAL WALTON FL-FRANKLIN FL-GULF FL-WAKULLA FL- ...A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND UNTIL 4 PM EDT (3 PM CDT) FRIDAY AFTERNOON... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 400 PM EDT FRIDAY AFTERNOON (300 PM CDT) FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND... WAKULLA...COASTAL WALTON...FRANKLIN...BAY AND GULF POWERFUL CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE RITA IS CONTINUING TO MOVE WEST NORTHWEST ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO TOWARD THE NORTHEAST TEXAS COAST. RITA HAS A LARGE WIND FIELD AND HAS GENERATED VERY LARGE SWELLS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTH FLORIDA GULF COAST. COMBINED WITH THESE LARGE SWELLS WILL BE STRONG EAST AND SOUTHEAST WINDS THAT WILL HELP TO PUSH WATER TOWARD THE COAST. A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS BEING ISSUED BECAUSE THE SWELLS AND WAVES CREATED BY HURRICANE RITA WILL LIKELY CAUSE WIDESPREAD BUT MINOR FLOODING NEAR AND AT THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE OVER THE NEXT TWENTY FOUR HOURS. WHILE MAJOR FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED...RISES OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL HIGH TIDE CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE FLORIDA COASTLINE FROM NEAR SAINT MARKS WEST TO DESTIN. BELOW ARE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE AT SELECTED LOCATIONS ALONG THE FLORIDA GULF COAST... DESTIN...126 AM CDT FRIDAY. PANAMA CITY BEACH...1136 PM CDT THURSDAY. APALACHICOLA...924 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 623 AM EDT FRIDAY. CARRABELLE...759 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 458 AM EDT FRIDAY. BALD POINT...655 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 529 AM EDT FRIDAY. SAINT MARKS RIVER ENTRANCE...603 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 505 AM EDT FRIDAY. A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING ALONG LOW LYING AREAS...IMMEDIATELY ALONG THE COAST...IS IMMINENT. MOST OF THE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE OVER THE NEXT TWENTY FOUR HOURS WILL FALL DURING THE NIGHT. THIS WILL MAKE IT ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH WATER LEVELS HAVE RISEN. THEREFORE...MAKE PREPARATIONS NOW ON WHAT YOU WILL DO IF FLOODING NEAR THE COAST OCCURS. IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE DRIVING ALONG THE COAST AND COME TO A FLOODED ROAD...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS. TURN AROUND! DON'T DROWN! STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. $$ 38-GODSEY