Gulf State Park closed its fishing pier in Gulf Shores late Monday night as a precaution while Tropical Storm Bertha churned in the Gulf of Mexico, stirring up rougher surf and choppier conditions along the Alabama coast.
By early Tuesday, the scene along the shoreline near the pier was a study in contrast: strong wind and building waves working against an otherwise quiet, largely empty stretch of beach. No rain had reached the immediate coast yet, but conditions were expected to deteriorate as the storm continued its slow track through the northeastern Gulf. Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency officials said they were continuing to monitor the situation closely even though the bulk of the storm remained offshore.
The pier closure came as Bertha carried a Tropical Storm Warning for southern and central Mobile and Baldwin counties, with forecasters tracking a high risk of rip currents and warning that surf could build to as much as 8 to 11 feet at the height of the storm. Those conditions, combined with gusty winds along the immediate coastline, made structures like the Gulf State Park Pier one of the first places officials moved to close as the storm approached.
The pier is one of the most popular attractions at Gulf State Park, drawing anglers and sightseers year-round for its long reach out over the Gulf. It is also one of the more exposed structures on the coast during a tropical system, since pilings, railings and decking can take a beating from wind-driven waves and storm surge even when a storm’s center stays well offshore. Closing the pier ahead of the roughest conditions is a standard precaution meant to keep visitors away from a structure that becomes especially dangerous when waves are breaking beneath and around it.
Officials said they expected conditions to remain rough through the middle of the week before gradually improving as Bertha tracked farther west, away from the Alabama coast. In the meantime, Baldwin County EMA urged beachgoers to stay off the pier and out of the Gulf until officials give the all-clear, noting that surf and rip current dangers can persist even after the worst of a storm’s wind and rain have passed.