06/17/2026
Sand available at four locations within the county
Wednesday, June 17, 1:10 p.m. - Santa Rosa County may experience heavy rainfall resulting in flooding from remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur. According to the U.S. National Weather Service Mobile Office, our area is under a moderate risk of excessive rainfall on Thursday, June 18, and a large portion of our area is under a moderate risk again on Friday, June 19.
Key messages:
There is a low risk of isolated tornadoes and isolated damaging winds beginning early Thursday morning and lasting through the day.
A flood watch is in effect through 7 p.m. on Friday, June 19. Multiple rounds of heavy rain are expected. An additional 4-8 inches of rain is expected across the majority of the area, with localized totals of 10 or more inches possible.
Heavy rain combined with saturated soils will result in a higher threat for life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding.
There is a high risk of life-threatening rip currents through the end of the week. High surf (5-7 ft) expected late tonight through Friday morning. Minor coastal flooding is possible in typical flood-prone areas on Thursday.
Turn around, don't drown! Never cross a flooded roadway because you can't see whether the road has been damaged.
Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to quickly move to higher ground if warnings are issued.
Due to the potential flood threat, the county's public works department has sand available on a first-come, first-served basis at the following locations:
The corner of Leisure Street and Citrus Drive in Navarre
Tiger Point Park in Gulf Breeze (1370 Tiger Park Lane)
Pace Fire-Rescue in Pace (4773 Pace Patriot Boulevard)
The corner of Pine Forest Road and Carroll Road in Milton
Residents must provide their own sandbags and shovel. Bags can be purchased at many local hardware stores. For information on how to make and use sandbags, visit the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (https://link.edgepilot.com/x/m-huKjtg_TdYTCrVwsXUzA?u=http://www.flash.org/). While sandbags can help mitigate to some extent, buying flood insurance is the best protection against flood loss.
Floods are the nation's most common and costly natural disaster and cause millions of dollars in damage every year. And get it sooner rather than later - flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period.
Be prepared. Make sure all family members know the plan.
Have multiple ways of receiving alerts.
Every home should have a NOAA weather radio, the first line of defense before relying on alerts through a smartphone.
Smartphone weather apps are also an excellent delivery source of severe weather information and other disaster updates - especially during overnight hours. Santa Rosa County's alert app - AlertSantaRosa.com - provides updates on emergency incidents (hazardous materials and severe weather) in the county at addresses of your choice (work, school, home, etc).
Be sure that you have not disabled your alerts on your phone and that it is fully charged and within reach. If you use the "Do Not Disturb" feature on your phone at night, turn it off so that any emergency calls may come through.
