Hurricane Sally

[Kurt]

Sally is forecast to be a slow moving system that will dump large amounts of rain. Walton County is within the 5-day error cone as of this advisory. Do not focus on the track or cone as impacts will occur well outside these areas.

Heavy rainfall, isolated tornadoes, minor surge (1-3 ft), and gusty winds are the primary threats from this system.
Rainfall of 7-10" with localized areas seeing 10-15" over the next 7 days. Minor coastal flooding is possible. A high rip current risk is expected as we continue toward Monday.
Watches, Warnings, Advisories
• Tropical Storm Watch for Freeport south to the Gulf of Mexico in Walton County.
• Flash Flood Watch for Walton County from Sunday until Tuesday.
South Walton Beaches are under Yellow/Purple Flags. YELLOW: MEDIUM HAZARD - Moderate Surf and/or Moderate Currents; PURPLE: Marine Pests Present.
Walton County has 4 sandbag locations. Bags and sand available. Please take a shovel.
• Blue Mountian Beach At the District 5 Road Department on County Road 83
• Miramar Beach at the TDC vacant lot property located on Driftwood Road just north of Scenic Gulf Dr.
• Santa Rosa Beach on Bay Drive( CR 83N) just north of Hwy 98 on east side of road
Freeport
• Bayloop Road 1/4 mile north of Red Barn Road on East side of Bayloop Road.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs until November 30. Be sure to Have a Plan, Build a Kit, and Be Informed.
To sign up for emergency and weather notifications go to www.alertwalton.org.
Know Your Zone. Know Your Home. To locate you evacuation zone visit www.waltoncountyem.org.

 

[Kurt]

 

[Kurt]

 

[Kurt]

 

[Kurt]

Sally is expected to become a Hurricane Monday afternoon after the center has moved past us to Louisiana.

For SoWal, expect at the least, steady SE winds of 20-30 mph and higher gusts. Heavy rainfall, but totals could vary greatly depending on slight movement of Sally north or south, and whether we are lucky to be in between major training bands.

 

[Teresa]

***TROPICAL STORM SALLY CLOSURE UPDATES AS OF 7:45PM 9/13/2020***

Per the Walton County School District (WCSD) "all Walton County Schools [are closed] for tomorrow, Monday, September 14th, as we anticipate unsafe travel conditions, especially for our school buses. Closures include both students and employees." Please direct school closure specific questions to the WCSD.

Per the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FLDEP) the following parks are partially closed effective immediately. They will reopen when safe to do so. Please direct all State Park questions to FLDEP.

Big Lagoon State Park
Cayo Costa State Park
Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park
Grayton Beach State Park
Henderson Beach State Park
St. Andrews State Park
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

 

[Teresa]

*TROPICAL STORM SALLY UPDATE*
Monday Sept 14

Rain and windy conditions move in today.
Biggest threat for our forecast area remains the flooding rain threat.

If you are in an area prone to flooding you should ensure you have a plan.

Remain alert and watch for roads that maybe washed out or flooded if driving.

Continue to monitor this system.

 

[Teresa]

Walton County Emergency Management
Sept 14

As of the 11:00 am CT NHC special advisory Tropical Storm (TS) Sally was upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and is moving WNW at 7 mph. The track has shifted significantly to the east since our previous update yesterday afternoon. Portions of North Walton County are now back into the 3-day error cone.

We would like to reiterate that you should not focus on the track or cone as impacts will occur well outside these areas.

Conditions within Walton County will deteriorate as the day goes on.

Please avoid traveling if you are able.

Our impacts are dependent of the exact track and intensity of Sally.

Potential Impacts
• Potential for major flooding rain. Widespread rainfall of 5-7" with localized areas seeing up to 12".
• A Moderate chance for excessive rainfall. Numerous flash floods are likely. Flooding events with significant events possible. Many streams may flood, potentially affecting large rivers.
• Flash Flooding is possible.
• Storm surge of 2-3 feet and minor coastal flooding is possible.
• Isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out.
• High surf, dangerous rip currents, and beach erosion are expected for the next several days.
Watches, Warnings, Advisories
• Tropical Storm Warning in Walton County for Freeport south to the Gulf of Mexico.
• Flash Flood Watch for Walton County is in effect until 7:00pm CT tonight, September 14, 2020.
• High Surf Advisory for Coastal Walton County is in effect until Wednesday, September 16, 2020.
Protective Actions
• Sandbag Stations are Open
o Blue Mountain Beach At the District 5 Road Department on County Road 83
o Miramar Beach at the TDC vacant lot property located on Driftwood Road just north of Scenic Gulf Dr.
o Santa Rosa Beach on Bay Drive( CR 83N) just north of Hwy 98 on east side of road
o Bayloop Road 1/4 mile north of Red Barn Road on East side of Bayloop Road.
• South Walton Beaches are under DOUBLE RED Flags.
o DOUBLE RED: Water closed to public
• All Walton County Schools are canceled for today, Monday, September 14th. Closures include both students and employees.
• State Parks are partially closed effective immediately. They will reopen when safe to do so. Parks include:
o Big Lagoon State Park
o Cayo Costa State Park
o Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park
o Grayton Beach State Park
o Henderson Beach State Park
o St. Andrews State Park
o Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
• A Local State of Emergency is declared for Hurricane Sally.
• No evacuation orders have been issued

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs until November 30. Be sure to Have a Plan, Build a Kit, and Be Informed.

To sign up for emergency and weather notifications go to www.alertwalton.org.

Know Your Zone. Know Your Home. To locate you evacuation zone visit www.waltoncountyem.org.
WCEM will provide another update after the 4:00 pm NHC advisory is released.

 

[Lake View Too]

I keep looking at the NHC maps, and keep walking outside, and wondering what's up? We should be getting 35 MPH winds and it should be raining like crazy, but it's just holding off.

 

[Teresa]

SWFD 9/14/20

Hurricane Sally FAQ
SWFD will continue to monitor Hurricane Sally and provide you with current information as we receive it.

We ask that you also continue to track Sally and ensure you and your family have a plan in the event conditions change.

As key partners of the Walton County Joint Information Center (JIC) here are some of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and answers relating to this storm that have been put together for your awareness.

As always, only receive and follow reliable media weather outlets.