Tropical Storm Warning Issued for Coastal Wakulla, Evacuations Urged

A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for Coastal Wakulla, including Saint Marks and Panacea, by the National Weather Service (NWS) Tallahassee FL, effective immediately as of October 8 at 11:05 PM EDT. Residents in surge-prone areas should complete evacuation efforts now as life-threatening storm surge of 4-6 feet above ground is possible through Saturday morning.

Major flooding from heavy rain is also expected, with an additional 6-10 inches of rainfall forecast, potentially leading to evacuations and rescues. A Flood Watch is in effect. Several tornadoes are possible; residents should be prepared to shelter quickly if a tornado warning is issued.

While wind speeds are expected to remain below tropical storm force (10-20 mph with gusts to 35 mph), conditions will be gusty. Community officials are currently assessing any realized wind impacts. For continuous updates, visit the NWS Tallahassee at weather.gov/tallahassee, the Florida Division of Emergency Management at floridadisaster.org, and Wakulla County Emergency Management at wcso.org/emergency-management. This warning expires October 9 at 3:15 AM EDT.