Public paper · October 5, 2026 · Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties, Florida · Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties, Alabama
Flash Flood Warnings for Okaloosa and Santa Rosa Counties, Florida, and Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston Counties, Alabama, Until 8:45 a.m. CDT
Heavy rain is causing flash flooding along the Florida Panhandle coast and in southeast Alabama. Two new Flash Flood Warnings came out early Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. NWS Mobile warned southern Okaloosa and southeastern Santa Rosa counties in Florida until 8:45 a.m. CDT (6:45 a.m. Pacific). NWS Tallahassee warned parts of Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties in Alabama until 8:15 a.m. CDT (6:15 a.m. Pacific). Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Navarre, Dothan, Daleville and Headland are named. Up to 4 inches of rain has fallen, with more possible. Turn around, don’t drown.
Incident history
Addendum · Oct. 5, 2026 · 5:45 a.m. CDT
Flash Flood Warning issued for southern Okaloosa and southeastern Santa Rosa
The National Weather Service in Mobile issued a Flash Flood Warning at 5:45 a.m. CDT (3:45 a.m. Pacific) on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, for southern Okaloosa County and southeastern Santa Rosa County in Florida, until 8:45 a.m. CDT (6:45 a.m. Pacific). Doppler radar and automated rain gauges showed thunderstorms producing heavy rain in and around Destin and Okaloosa Island. Between 2 and 3 inches of rain had fallen, and 1 to 2 inches more are possible. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. The statement names Wright, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Destin, Eglin AFB, Valparaiso, Mary Esther, Navarre, and Shalimar. Life-threatening flash flooding of creeks, streams, streets, highways, and underpasses. Do not drive through floodwater. Be especially careful at night.
National Weather Service Mobile AL Flash Flood Warning FFWMOB, WGUS54 KMOB 051045, issued 5:45 a.m. CDT on Oct. 5, 2026. VTEC /O.NEW.KMOB.FF.W.0044.261005T1045Z-261005T1345Z/. https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.f220bebec915177b3c561da1e2cd9aa4e40a27f4.001.1. Paper https://noticenearby.com/papers/flash-flood-warnings-okaloosa-santa-rosa-fl-coffee-dale-geneva-henry-houston-al-oct-5-2026
Update · Oct. 5, 2026 · 5:20 a.m. CDT
Flash Flood Warning issued for southeastern Coffee, southern Dale, northeastern Geneva, southwestern Henry, and northwestern Houston
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee issued a Flash Flood Warning at 5:20 a.m. CDT (3:20 a.m. Pacific) on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, for southeastern Coffee County, southern Dale County, northeastern Geneva County, southwestern Henry County, and northwestern Houston County in Alabama, until 8:15 a.m. CDT (6:15 a.m. Pacific). Doppler radar showed thunderstorms producing heavy rain. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain had fallen, and 2 to 4 inches more are possible. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. The statement names Daleville, Dothan, Fort Rucker, Headland, Hartford, Midland City, and Coffee Springs. Life-threatening flash flooding of creeks, streams, streets, highways, and underpasses. Do not drive through floodwater. Be especially careful at night.
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL Flash Flood Warning FFWTAE, issued 5:20 a.m. CDT (6:20 a.m. EDT) on Oct. 5, 2026. VTEC /O.NEW.KTAE.FF.W.0031.261005T1020Z-261005T1315Z/. https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.8421d60dbd09cdca55cf200944b24dd6fdcea354.001.1. Paper https://noticenearby.com/papers/flash-flood-warnings-okaloosa-santa-rosa-fl-coffee-dale-geneva-henry-houston-al-oct-5-2026
Heavy rain is causing flash flooding on the Florida Panhandle coast and in the Wiregrass of southeast Alabama. Two new Flash Flood Warnings came out early Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. The Florida warning covers southern Okaloosa County and southeastern Santa Rosa County. NWS Mobile issued it at 5:45 a.m. CDT Monday, Oct. 5, 2026 (3:45 a.m. Pacific). It lasts until 8:45 a.m. CDT (6:45 a.m. Pacific). Radar and rain gauges showed 2 to 3 inches of rain already fallen in and around Destin and Okaloosa Island, with 1 to 2 inches more possible. The Alabama warning covers southeastern Coffee, southern Dale, northeastern Geneva, southwestern Henry and northwestern Houston counties. NWS Tallahassee issued it at 5:20 a.m. CDT (6:20 a.m. EDT, 3:20 a.m. Pacific). It lasts until 8:15 a.m. CDT (6:15 a.m. Pacific). Radar showed 2 to 4 inches of rain already fallen, with 2 to 4 inches more possible. Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Navarre, Dothan, Daleville, Fort Rucker and Headland are among the places named. Flash flooding is happening now or will start soon. Creeks, streams, town streets, highways, underpasses and low spots can flood. Earlier warnings in Coffee, Dale and Henry counties were separate; this is a new one.
What to do: do not drive on flooded roads. Turn around, don’t drown. Most flood deaths happen in vehicles. Six inches of moving water can knock a person down. A foot or two of moving water can float a car. You cannot tell how deep the water is from the driver’s seat. Be careful in the dark and on the morning commute. On the coast, beach roads and low streets near the bays can flood fast. If you are in a low spot, move to higher ground. If you are trapped, call 911. If you can report flooding safely, tell local emergency services. Do not treat the end time as an all-clear until weather.gov says the warning is over.
Source: National Weather Service. Florida warning: NWS Mobile AL, FFWMOB, issued 5:45 a.m. CDT Oct. 5, 2026, until 8:45 a.m. CDT: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.f220bebec915177b3c561da1e2cd9aa4e40a27f4.001.1. Alabama warning: NWS Tallahassee FL, FFWTAE, issued 5:20 a.m. CDT (6:20 a.m. EDT) Oct. 5, 2026, until 8:15 a.m. CDT: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.8421d60dbd09cdca55cf200944b24dd6fdcea354.001.1. Office text products: https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=mob&wwa=all and https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=tae&wwa=all. Flood safety: https://www.weather.gov/safety/flood. Office posts: https://x.com/NWSMobile/status/2107059831085429078 and https://x.com/NWSTallahassee/status/2107053396956004594. County hubs: https://noticenearby.com/fl/okaloosa, https://noticenearby.com/fl/santa-rosa, https://noticenearby.com/al/coffee, https://noticenearby.com/al/dale, https://noticenearby.com/al/geneva, https://noticenearby.com/al/henry and https://noticenearby.com/al/houston. If this page and weather.gov disagree, weather.gov wins. Notice Nearby is not the National Weather Service, the sheriff, or the fire department.
The two warnings, in plain words
Two different Weather Service offices sent these warnings. NWS Mobile, Alabama, covers the western Florida Panhandle, including Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties. NWS Tallahassee, Florida, covers southeast Alabama, including Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties. All seven counties run on Central time.
Warning one: southern Okaloosa County and southeastern Santa Rosa County, Florida. Product FFWMOB. It was issued Oct. 5 at 5:45 a.m. CDT until 8:45 a.m. CDT. In Pacific time that is 3:45 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. Radar and automated rain gauges showed heavy rain in and around Destin and Okaloosa Island. Between 2 and 3 inches had fallen. Another 1 to 2 inches is possible. The VTEC string is /O.NEW.KMOB.FF.W.0044.261005T1045Z-261005T1345Z/.
Warning two: southeastern Coffee, southern Dale, northeastern Geneva, southwestern Henry and northwestern Houston counties, Alabama. Product FFWTAE. The headline says 6:20 a.m. EDT until 9:15 a.m. EDT, because the Tallahassee office is on Eastern time. In these Alabama counties that is 5:20 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. CDT. In Pacific time it is 3:20 a.m. to 6:15 a.m. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain had fallen. Another 2 to 4 inches is possible. The VTEC string is /O.NEW.KTAE.FF.W.0031.261005T1020Z-261005T1315Z/.
For both warnings: Severity is Severe. Urgency is Immediate. Certainty is Likely. The status is Actual. Both are brand-new warnings (NEW on the VTEC line). The hazard is flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. The Florida warning is based on radar and rain gauges. The Alabama warning is based on radar.
The impact line names small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses, and other poor drainage and low-lying areas. Water can cover a road with no warning.
County codes are FLC091 (Okaloosa), FLC113 (Santa Rosa), ALC031 (Coffee), ALC045 (Dale), ALC061 (Geneva), ALC067 (Henry) and ALC069 (Houston). The FIPS codes used on this page are 12091, 12113, 01031, 01045, 01061, 01067 and 01069. Alert ids: urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.f220bebec915177b3c561da1e2cd9aa4e40a27f4.001.1 and urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.8421d60dbd09cdca55cf200944b24dd6fdcea354.001.1.
The Weather Service instruction: turn around, don’t drown when you come to a flooded road. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.
Which areas
Florida: the southern part of Okaloosa County and the southeastern part of Santa Rosa County. That is the Emerald Coast between Navarre and Destin, plus Niceville, Valparaiso and Eglin Air Force Base on the north side of Choctawhatchee Bay. Okaloosa Island and the beach towns took the heaviest rain at warning time.
Alabama: parts of five Wiregrass counties. The warned area runs from Fort Rucker and Daleville through Midland City and Newton toward Dothan and Headland. It reaches Hartford and Coffee Springs on the Geneva County side.
Dale and Henry counties also remain under an earlier, separate warning until 6:45 a.m. CDT (4:45 a.m. Pacific). An earlier Coffee and Dale warning already ended. Those are covered on their own Notice Nearby pages.
This page names the counties and towns only. It does not print a street address or a house number.
Places the warnings name
The Florida warning says some places that will see flash flooding include Wright, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Destin, Eglin AFB, Valparaiso, Mary Esther, Ocean City, Lake Lorraine, Navarre, Shalimar, Cinco Bayou, Navarre Beach, Longwood, Eglin Village, Wynnehaven Beach, Postil, Harper, Seminole and Holley.
The Alabama warning says some places that will see flash flooding include Daleville, Dothan, Fort Rucker, Headland, Hartford, Midland City, Kinsey, Level Plains, Newton, Webb, Pinckard, Clayhatchee, Grimes, Newville, Napier Field and Coffee Springs.
This page does not add towns the warnings left out.
If your town is not on a list, you can still be in a warned area. The lists are examples, not a fence. Check weather.gov before you decide you are clear.
Eglin Air Force Base and Fort Rucker are both named. Service members, families and civilian workers should follow installation alerts and stay off flooded roads before the morning commute.
Notes and sources
- Sources: NWS Mobile AL Flash Flood Warning FFWMOB (alert urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.f220bebec915177b3c561da1e2cd9aa4e40a27f4.001.1) and NWS Tallahassee FL Flash Flood Warning FFWTAE (alert urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.8421d60dbd09cdca55cf200944b24dd6fdcea354.001.1), checked live early Monday, Oct. 5, 2026 (about 4:10 a.m. Pacific). Status Actual. Message type Alert. Not cancelled at that check. If weather.gov updates the clock, weather.gov wins.
- Warning one: WMO WGUS54 KMOB 051045. VTEC /O.NEW.KMOB.FF.W.0044.261005T1045Z-261005T1345Z/. Issued 5:45 a.m. CDT (3:45 a.m. PT). Ends 8:45 a.m. CDT / 6:45 a.m. PT Oct. 5, 2026, unless extended. Rain: 2 to 3 inches fallen; 1 to 2 more possible.
- Warning two: WMO WGUS52 KTAE 051020. VTEC /O.NEW.KTAE.FF.W.0031.261005T1020Z-261005T1315Z/. Issued 5:20 a.m. CDT / 6:20 a.m. EDT (3:20 a.m. PT). Ends 8:15 a.m. CDT / 6:15 a.m. PT Oct. 5, 2026, unless extended. Rain: 2 to 4 inches fallen; 2 to 4 more possible.
- Earlier, separate warnings: Coffee and Dale counties (ended 4:15 a.m. CDT), paper https://noticenearby.com/papers/flash-flood-warning-coffee-dale-counties-al-oct-5-2026; Dale and Henry AL with Clay, Quitman and Randolph GA (until 6:45 a.m. CDT), paper https://noticenearby.com/papers/flash-flood-warning-dale-henry-al-clay-quitman-randolph-ga-oct-5-2026.
- Places named by the warnings only. No street address numbers. The paper stays in Papers after the warnings end.
- Office posts: https://x.com/NWSMobile/status/2107059831085429078 · https://x.com/NWSTallahassee/status/2107053396956004594.
- Author: Ryan Standley / Record of Sale, LLC / Notice Nearby.
- Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).
Okaloosa County hub · https://noticenearby.com/fl/okaloosa · Santa Rosa County hub · https://noticenearby.com/fl/santa-rosa · Coffee County hub · https://noticenearby.com/al/coffee · Dale County hub · https://noticenearby.com/al/dale · Geneva County hub · https://noticenearby.com/al/geneva · Henry County hub · https://noticenearby.com/al/henry · Houston County hub · https://noticenearby.com/al/houston
Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).