{"url_path":"/weather/alerts/2.49.0.1.840.0.cf11a87e75389b275bc3cc6e83b9a4536bb803d8.001.1","section_key":"alert","section_title":"Tropical Cyclone Local Statement issued July 21 at 11:09AM EDT by NWS Tallahassee FL","topic":"weather","document":{"doc_type":"alert","doc_date":"2026-07-21","source_url":"https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn%3Aoid%3A2.49.0.1.840.0.cf11a87e75389b275bc3cc6e83b9a4536bb803d8.001.1","accession_number":null,"cik":null,"ticker":null,"issuer_name":null,"edgar_url":null,"primary_entity_key":null,"primary_entity_name":"NWS Tallahassee FL"},"word_count":1050,"has_tables":false,"body_markdown":"# Tropical Cyclone Local Statement: Tropical Cyclone Local Statement issued July 21 at 11:09AM EDT by NWS Tallahassee FL\n\n**Severity:** Moderate\n**Certainty:** Likely\n**Urgency:** Expected\n**Areas:** North Walton; Central Walton; Holmes; Washington; Jackson; Inland Bay; Calhoun; Inland Gulf; Inland Franklin; Gadsden; Leon; Inland Jefferson; Madison; Inland Wakulla; Inland Taylor; Lafayette; Inland Dixie; South Walton; Coastal Bay; Coastal Gulf; Coastal Franklin; Coastal Jefferson; Coastal Wakulla; Coastal Taylor; Coastal Dixie; Northern Liberty; Southern Liberty\n**Issued by:** NWS Tallahassee FL\n**Sent:** 2026-07-21T11:09:00-04:00\n**Effective:** 2026-07-21T11:09:00-04:00\n**Expires:** 2026-07-21T19:15:00-04:00\n\n## Description\nHLSTAE\n\nThis product covers eastern Florida panhandle, Florida Big Bend, southeastern Alabama and southwestern Georgia\n\n**AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS FIND BERTHA HAS STRENGTHENED**\n\n\nNEW INFORMATION\n---------------\n\n* CHANGES TO WATCHES AND WARNINGS:\n- The Tropical Storm Watch has been upgraded to a Tropical Storm\nWarning for Coastal Bay and South Walton\n\n* CURRENT WATCHES AND WARNINGS:\n- A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Coastal Bay and South\nWalton\n\n* STORM INFORMATION:\n- About 70 miles south-southwest of Panama City or about 80 miles\nwest-southwest of Apalachicola\n- 29.3N 86.3W\n- Storm Intensity 60 mph\n- Movement North-northwest or 345 degrees at 3 mph\n\nSITUATION OVERVIEW\n------------------\n\n...TROPICAL STORM WATCH UPGRADED TO WARNING FOR COASTAL WALTON AND\nCOASTAL BAY COUNTIES...\n\nBertha has jogged a bit to the north since the last advisory but is\nexpected to begin a northwest to west-northwest motion this afternoon\nfollowed by a turn westward around Wednesday. On this forecast track,\nthe core of Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to remain offshore as it\npasses south of the Panhandle.\n\nAs of 10 AM CDT, maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph, and forward\nmotion was to the north-northwest at 3 mph. Those strongest winds will\nremain offshore, but peripheral impacts around the edge of Bertha will\nbe experienced in coastal communities through Wednesday morning.\nImpacts include dangerous beach conditions from rip currents and very\nrough surf, minor coastal flooding, dangerous marine conditions from\nlarge waves and strong winds, and gusty winds in squalls.\n\nStorm Surge along the coast of Apalachee Bay west of the Aucilla River\nwill bring 1 to 3 feet of inundation over normally dry ground near the\nshoreline during times of high tide through Wednesday morning. West of\nIndian Pass, including the coasts of Gulf, Bay, and Walton Counties,\nstorm surge inundation of 1 to 2 feet is expected over normally dry\nground near the shoreline during times of high tide through Wednesday\nmorning.\n\nLocally heavy rainfall is expected along and south of I-10 in Florida.\nIsolated flash flooding is possible. Rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches,\nwith isolated spots near 5 inches, are possible through Wednesday.\n\n\nPOTENTIAL IMPACTS\n-----------------\n\n* WIND:\nProtect against hazardous wind having possible limited impacts across\nthe Panhandle coast. Potential impacts in this area include:\n- Damage to porches, awnings, carports, sheds, and unanchored\nmobile homes. Unsecured lightweight objects blown about.\n- Many large tree limbs broken off. A few trees snapped or\nuprooted, but with greater numbers in places where trees are\nshallow rooted. Some fences and roadway signs blown over.\n- A few roads impassable from debris, particularly within urban\nor heavily wooded places. Hazardous driving conditions on\nbridges and other elevated roadways.\n- Scattered power and communications outages.\n\nElsewhere across eastern Florida panhandle, Florida Big Bend,\nsoutheastern Alabama and southwestern Georgia, little to no impact is\nanticipated.\n\n* FLOODING RAIN:\nPrepare for locally hazardous rainfall flooding having possible\nlimited impacts across eastern Florida panhandle, Florida Big Bend,\nsoutheastern Alabama and southwestern Georgia. Potential impacts\ninclude:\n- Localized rainfall flooding may prompt a few evacuations.\n- Rivers and tributaries may quickly rise with swifter currents.\nSmall streams, creeks, and ditches may become swollen and\noverflow in spots.\n- Flood waters can enter a few structures, especially in usually\nvulnerable spots. A few places where rapid ponding of water\noccurs at underpasses, low-lying spots, and poor drainage\nareas. Several storm drains and retention ponds become\nnear-full and begin to overflow. Some brief road and bridge\nclosures.\n\n* SURGE:\nPrepare for locally hazardous surge having possible limited impacts\nacross the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend coasts. Potential impacts\nin this area include:\n- Localized inundation with storm surge flooding mainly along\nimmediate shorelines and in low-lying spots, or in areas\nfarther inland near where higher surge waters move ashore.\n- Sections of near-shore roads and parking lots become overspread\nwith surge water. Driving conditions dangerous in places where\nsurge water covers the road.\n- Moderate beach erosion. Heavy surf also breaching dunes, mainly\nin usually vulnerable locations. Strong rip currents.\n- Minor to locally moderate damage to marinas, docks, boardwalks,\nand piers. A few small craft broken away from moorings.\n\nElsewhere across eastern Florida panhandle, Florida Big Bend,\nsoutheastern Alabama and southwestern Georgia, little to no impact is\nanticipated.\n\n* TORNADOES:\nLittle to no impacts are anticipated at this time across eastern\nFlorida panhandle, Florida Big Bend, southeastern Alabama and\nsouthwestern Georgia.\n\nPRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS\n----------------------------------\n\n* EVACUATIONS:\nFollow the advice of local officials\n\n\n* OTHER PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION:\nNow is the time to complete all preparations to protect life and\nproperty in accordance with your emergency plan. Ensure you are in a\nsafe location before the onset of strong winds or possible flooding.\n\nKeep cell phones well charged. Cell phone chargers for automobiles\ncan be helpful, but be aware of your risk for deadly carbon monoxide\npoisoning if your car is left idling in a garage or other poorly\nventilated area\n\nIf you are a visitor, be sure to know the name of the city in which\nyou are staying and the name of the county in which it resides.\nListen for these locations in local news updates. Pay attention for\ninstructions from local authorities.\n\nStorm surge is the leading killer associated with tropical storms and\nhurricanes! Make sure you are in a safe area away from the surge\nzone.\n\nClosely monitor weather.gov, NOAA Weather radio or local news outlets\nfor official storm information. Be ready to adapt to possible changes\nto the forecast. Ensure you have multiple ways to receive weather\nwarnings.\n\n\n* ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION:\n- For information on appropriate preparations see ready.gov\n- For additional disaster preparedness information see redcross.org\n\nNEXT UPDATE\n-----------\n\nThe next local statement will be issued by the National Weather\nService in Tallahassee FL around 4 PM CDT, or sooner if conditions\nwarrant."}