000 WHUS42 KTAE 230723 CFWTAE COASTAL FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 320 AM EDT FRI SEP 23 2005 FLZ008-012-014-015-027-232000- BAY-COASTAL WALTON-FRANKLIN-GULF-WAKULLA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...APALACHICOLA...CRAWFORDVILLE... PANAMA CITY...PORT ST JOE...SANTA ROSA BEACH 320 AM EDT (220 AM CDT) FRI SEP 23 2005 ...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EDT (300 PM CDT) TODAY... ...A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EDT (300 PM CDT) TODAY... 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 FLORIDA BIG BEND...COASTAL WALTON...BAY...GULF...FRANKLIN...AND WAKULLA. LARGE AND DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA WILL CONTINUE MOVING NORTHWEST ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO...EVENTUALLY MAKING LANDFALL NEAR THE TEXAS LOUISIANA BORDER SATURDAY MORNING. EVEN THOUGH RITA WILL BE FAR AWAY FROM THE FLORIDA COASTLINE...LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY THE HURRICANE WILL AFFECT THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA BEACHES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THESE SWELLS ALONG WITH STRONG SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL CAUSE DANGEROUSLY HIGH SURF CONDITIONS ALONG THE BEACHES. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN TODAY AS RITA MOVES NORTHWEST FARTHER AWAY FROM THE LOCAL WATERS. DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS...BEACH EROSION...AND MINOR COASTAL FLOODING AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDES CAN BE EXPECTED. SAND MAY ALSO PILE UP ON LOW LYING ROADS ALONG THE COAST. TIDES WILL CONTINUE TO RUN ABOUT ONE 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL...ALTHOUGH TIDES 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL COULD HAPPEN IN SOME AREAS. BEACHES THAT WERE ERODED FROM DENNIS AND KATRINA EARLIER THIS YEAR WILL BE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE. THE FOLLOWING ARE HIGH TIDES FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS ALONG THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE COAST... DESTIN...126 AM CDT TODAY. APALACHICOLA...623 AM EDT TODAY. SAINT MARKS RIVER ENTRANCE...456 AM EDT AND 722 PM EDT TODAY. PLEASE MONITOR THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES. $$ FLZ018-028-034-232000- DIXIE-JEFFERSON-TAYLOR- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROSS CITY...MONTICELLO...PERRY 320 AM EDT FRI SEP 23 2005 ...MINOR COASTAL FLOODING POSSIBLE ALONG THE FLORIDA BIG BEND COAST... LARGE AND DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA WILL CONTINUE MOVING NORTHWEST ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO...EVENTUALLY MAKING LANDFALL NEAR THE TEXAS LOUISIANA BORDER SATURDAY MORNING. EVEN THOUGH RITA WILL BE FAR AWAY FROM THE FLORIDA COASTLINE...ABOVE NORMAL TIDES WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE FLORIDA BIG BEND COAST. SO FAR THIS THURSDAY EVENING TIDES HAVE BEEN RUNNING LESS THAN A FOOT ABOVE NORMAL AT THE CEDAR KEY TIDE GAUGE. HOWEVER...TIDES OF 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ARE POSSIBLE AND MAY CAUSE SOME MINOR FLOODING...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE TIME OF HIGH TIDES. THE FOLLOWING ARE TIMES OF HIGH TIDES AT SELECTED LOCATIONS ALONG THE BIG BEND COASTLINE. SAINT MARKS RIVER ENTRANCE...456 AM EDT AND 7:22 PM EDT TODAY. SUWANNEE RIVER ENTRANCE...505 AM EDT AND 700 PM EDT TODAY. PLEASE MONITOR THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES. $$ TJT