Severe weather heading this way: Walton warns residents

Walton County Emergency Operations Center Director Capt. Mike Barker, says “the National Weather Service Center believes there’s a significant storm system moving into Northwest Florida by tomorrow night. This includes the possibility of severe weather as a low pressure system continues to track into our area from Eastern Texas and Western Louisiana."

"This includes the possibility of destructive straight line winds. The threat of tornadoes also exists," he said.

Barker believes by mid-morning Wednesday, a squall line is predicted to develop and spread eastward across the Florida Panhandle in advance of a cold front moving in later this week."

The National Weather Service predicts up to six inches of rain, which brings the possibility of flash floods, and winds in excess of 40 miles per hour.  During an afternoon telephone conference call with emergency management officials across the Panhandle, National Weather Service meteorologists’ stated several prediction models are in agreement on the unusual severity of the approaching front.

"Over the next 36 hours, folks here in Walton and surrounding Florida and Alabama counties are urged to keep up with the latest weather developments on their local radio and television stations," Barker said.