Storm Surge Watch Issued for Coastal Bay: Evacuate if Ordered

A Storm Surge Watch has been issued for Coastal Bay, including Panama City, Panama City Beach, Mexico Beach, Lynn Haven, and Bayou George, effective October 7 at 2:00 PM EDT by the National Weather Service (NWS) Tallahassee. This alert indicates a severe and life-threatening storm surge is possible, with peak inundation potentially reaching 4-7 feet above ground in surge-prone areas from Friday morning until Saturday morning.

Residents in these areas should prepare for significant impacts. Evacuation preparations are underway, and disaster supplies should be assembled. Leave immediately if evacuation orders are issued for your area. Failure to comply with evacuation orders could result in loss of life.

Potential impacts include extensive damage to buildings, with some washing away, and large sections of near-shore escape routes becoming impassable. Severe beach erosion and major damage to marinas, docks, and piers are also expected.

In addition to storm surge, tropical storm force winds of 30-40 mph with gusts up to 55 mph are anticipated. This could lead to significant wind damage, including damage to roofing, siding, and mobile homes, and scattered power and communications outages. Heavy rainfall of 4-8 inches is also forecast, with localized higher amounts, leading to potential major flooding and making many roads impassable. Residents should heed all flood watches and warnings.

For more information, visit NWS Tallahassee at weather.gov/tallahassee, Florida Division of Emergency Management at floridadisaster.org, and Bay County Emergency Management at baycountyfl.gov/EmergencyManagement.