000 WHUS42 KTAE 222004 CFWTAE COASTAL FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 404 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2005 FLZ008-012-014-015-027-230830- BAY-COASTAL WALTON-FRANKLIN-GULF-WAKULLA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...APALACHICOLA...CRAWFORDVILLE...PANAMA CITY... PORT ST JOE...SANTA ROSA BEACH 404 PM EDT (304 PM CDT) THU SEP 22 2005 ...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EDT FRIDAY... ...A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EDT FRIDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE IS CONTINUING THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY AND COASTAL FLOOD WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND WESTERN BIG BEND...COASTAL WALTON...BAY...GULF... FRANKLIN AND WAKULLA. CATEGORY FOUR 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 WIDESPREAD MINOR COASTAL FLOODING AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE. TIDES WILL LIKELY BE 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. BEACHES THAT HAVE SEEN EROSION FROM DENNIS AND KATRINA EARLIER THIS YEAR WILL BE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO EVEN MORE BEACH EROSION. 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...924 PM EDT THURSDAY...623 AM EDT FRIDAY. CARRABELLE...759 PM EDT THURSDAY...458 AM EDT FRIDAY. BALD POINT...655 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 529 AM EDT FRIDAY. SAINT MARKS RIVER ENTRANCE...622 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 456 AM EDT FRIDAY. 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 ARE RISING. 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. DUE TO THE HIGH SURF...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. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON HURRICANE RITA. $$ FLZ018-028-034-230830- DIXIE-JEFFERSON-TAYLOR- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROSS CITY...MONTICELLO...PERRY 404 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2005 THE FOLLOWING IS A COASTAL FLOOD STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA. CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE RITA IS CONTINUING TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO TOWARD THE CENTRAL TEXAS COAST. EVEN THOUGH RITA IS LOCATED FAR AWAY FROM THE FLORIDA COAST...LARGE SWELLS HAVE BEEN GENERATED BY THE HURRICANE AND WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE EASTERN BIG BEND COASTLINE THROUGH FRIDAY. THOUGH THE SURF IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS HIGH ACROSS THE EASTERN BIG BEND DUE TO WINDS BLOWING OFFSHORE...DO NOT LET THIS DECEIVE YOU. THE RISK FOR DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS IS STILL HIGH. EVEN EXPERIENCED SWIMMERS SHOULD NOT VENTURE INTO THE WATER. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF MINOR COASTAL EROSION OR FLOODING AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY KATRINA AND DENNIS EARLIER THIS YEAR. AT THIS TIME...A RISE OF 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL HIGH TIDE TONIGHT AND IN THE MORNING CAN BE EXPECTED. BELOW ARE TIMES OF HIGH TIDES AT SELECTED LOCATIONS ALONG THE EASTERN BIG BEND COASTLINE. SAINT MARKS RIVER ENTRANCE...622 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 456 AM EDT FRIDAY. SUWANNEE RIVER ENTRANCE...603 PM EDT THURSDAY AND 505 AM EDT FRIDAY. A RISE OF 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE HIGH TIDE WILL LIKELY ONLY CAUSE NUISANCE FLOODING ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST. HOWEVER...IF YOU COME UPON A ROAD THAT IS COVERED BY WATER...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS. TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HURRICANE RITA. $$ 38-GODSEY