PCB forecast to have good beach conditions for Labor Day weekend despite Hurricane Idalia
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Hurricane Idalia might have stirred up the Gulf of Mexico, but officials do not believe it will prevent local beachgoers from enjoying the Labor Day weekend.
According to Daryl Paul, beach safety director for Panama City Beach Fire Rescue, double red flags were posted throughout the area on Wednesday following landfall of the Category 3 storm. He expects, however, to downgrade to a single red flag, or possibly even a yellow flag, by the weekend.
"I don't want to get too specific and give a lot of false hope, but from what I see in the forecast and what I see today, I'm pretty hopeful for calmer conditions (this weekend)," Paul said Wednesday.
He noted beachgoers still should be cautious when they enter the Gulf, especially in the wake of a major hurricane. Wind pushing from land out to sea can cause waves to appear less intimidating, even if there are strong and dangerous rip currents under the water.
"We didn't get a direct hit, but it changed the currents of the water," Paul said. "I'm looking more at what's going on underneath. This hurricane ... generated some strong winds, which generated a really big storm surge. The storm surge washed up on shore and all that water receding out is just creating these big rips.
"There are rip currents present, and that's what we're battling now."
Rip currents are fast-moving currents created by deep channels in surrounding sandbars. These channels often run perpendicular to the shoreline and cause water to funnel faster out into deeper waters of the Gulf. Rips can vary in strength, depending on how developed the channels are, and they can sometimes be identified from shore where there is a gap in the wave break − areas where the white caps of the breaks are less noticeable.
The best thing a beachgoer caught in a rip can do is swim parallel to shore, meaning toward the left or right of where they are in distress. If they do this, they will be able to break free from the current, often landing on a sandbar where they can stand. If they still cannot stand, they will at least be in calmer water where it will be easier to make it back to shore.
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Common flag colors used in beach flag warning systems include a green flag for low hazard conditions, a yellow flag for medium hazard conditions, one red flag for high hazard conditions and two red flags for very dangerous conditions.
Panama City Beach and Bay County, however, never fly green flags because officials say beachgoers should always be cautious anytime they enter the Gulf.
"Please heed the warnings of the lifeguards," Paul said. "Don't take anything for granted, don't take any unnecessary risks and always swim near a lifeguard."
Those interested in staying up to date with local beach conditions can sign up for daily alerts by texting "PCB Flags" to 888777.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach officials expect good beach conditions this weekend
