Volusia County beaches now use a new warning flag system. Colored flags at lifeguard towers have replaced the orange flags, which until now indicated only that a tower was staffed by lifeguards.
A red flag means dangerous rip currents or hazardous conditions in the water, yellow means moderate surf, and purple means the presence of dangerous marine animals. Flags are posted at all towers and may change during the day as conditions change.
Officials want warnings to reach beachgoers faster, especially tourists, who often do not pay attention to the flags on the main control towers. Rip currents can be invisible beneath a calm water surface, and in recent years the county has recorded record numbers of rescue operations.
Lifeguards recommend entering the water only opposite a staffed tower. The current locations of lifeguards can be checked in the Volusia Beach app. Dangerous waves and strong rip currents are forecast for this weekend.
Editor: KN
Source: Słoneczne Radio
