Special Marine Warning Issued for Pensacola Bay and Florida Panhandle Coastal Waters

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, has issued a Special Marine Warning (NWS alert code MAW) for several coastal regions in the Florida Panhandle. The alert was triggered by radar-indicated strong thunderstorms capable of producing hazardous conditions for mariners.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following geographic regions:

• Pensacola Bay Area, including Santa Rosa Sound
• Western and Eastern Choctawhatchee Bay
• Coastal waters from the Okaloosa-Walton County Line to Pensacola, extending out 20 nautical miles

Specific locations impacted include Mary Esther, Fort Walton Beach, the Highway 331 Bridge, Shalimar, Destin, Okaloosa Pier, Navarre Beach, West Choctawhatchee Bay, East Santa Rosa Sound, and the Fort Walton Liberty Ship Reef.

What You Should Do

Mariners are advised to move to safe harbor immediately as gusty winds and high waves are expected. Frequent lightning is occurring with these storms. If caught on the open water, stay below deck if possible and keep away from ungrounded metal objects.

Expected Conditions

According to the National Weather Service, wind gusts of 34 knots or greater are expected. These conditions may cause damage to small craft and result in suddenly higher waves. At 6:10 AM CDT, a line of strong thunderstorms was located extending from 9 nautical miles north of East Santa Rosa Sound to 7 nautical miles north of Oriskany Reef, moving east at 20 knots.

Timeline

The Special Marine Warning is effective immediately as of 6:14 AM CDT on March 8, 2026. The alert is currently scheduled to expire at 7:45 AM CDT on the same day.