000
WHUS42 KTAE 182343
CFWTAE

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
743 PM EDT TUE OCT 18 2011

...A HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 5 AM EDT/ 4AM
CDT/ WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR THE BEACHES OF FRANKLIN...GULF...
BAY...AND WALTON COUNTIES...

.HIGH SWELLS FROM A TROPICAL LOW CROSSING THE LOCAL REGION
WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTHWARD ACROSS OUR AREA BEACHES
TONIGHT. WHILE ELEVATED ONSHORE WINDS MAY BE LIMITED TO FRANKLIN
AND GULF COUNTIES...SURF HEIGHTS OF 3 TO 5 FEET WITH HIGHER SETS
ARE EXPECTED AREA WIDE. HOWEVER...THE HIGHEST SURF AND ROUGHEST
CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED FOR FRANKLIN COUNTY... WHERE A PERIOD
OF 15 TO 20 MPH SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL MAKE
THE SURF ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE
SOUTHEAST AND ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. IN ITS
WAKE...WINDS WILL SHIFT TO OFFSHORE AND THE HIGH RISK OF RIP
CURRENTS WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST.

FLZ108-112-114-115-190900-
/O.EXT.KTAE.RP.S.0011.000000T0000Z-111019T0900Z/
SOUTH WALTON-COASTAL BAY-COASTAL GULF-COASTAL FRANKLIN-
743 PM EDT TUE OCT 18 2011 /643 PM CDT TUE OCT 18 2011/

...RIP CURRENT RISK NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EDT /4 AM CDT/
WEDNESDAY...

* SURF...3 TO 5 FEET WITH HIGHER SETS...ESPECIALLY AT THE 
  FRANKLIN COUNTY BEACHES. 

* TIMING...INTO THE PREDAWN HOURS TONIGHT.

* IMPACTS...SURF HEIGHTS OF 3 TO 5 FEET WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS RIP
  CURRENTS AT THE BEACHES. THE SURF WILL BE ESPECIALLY ROUGH FOR
  FRANKLIN COUNTY...WHERE A PERIOD OF 15 TO 20 MPH SOUTHEASTERLY
  WINDS WITH HIGHER GUSTS IS EXPECTED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL
CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR
MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE SANDBAR AND IN THE
VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS...JETTIES AND PIERS. HEED
THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY ATTENTION TO
FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS. IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...
DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM AND BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE.
ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE FORCE OF THE RIP CURRENT... BEGIN TO
SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A
RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY.

&&

$$

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