Tropical Storm Bertha kept the Gulf of Mexico churned up along the Alabama coast this week, and in Fort Morgan that meant one thing for beachgoers: stay out of the water. Officials closed the Gulf to swimmers as rough waves and gusty winds moved through the area, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office took to the sand to make sure the message got through.
Corporal Holt Johnson patrolled the beach in his department Jeep, stopping to remind visitors that the water was off-limits. “Hey y’all the water is closed. Please stay out of the water,” Johnson told beachgoers along the shoreline.
Double red flags, the highest-level warning used along the Alabama coast, flew over Fort Morgan throughout the day to signal that the Gulf was closed. Along the Alabama coast, a single red flag typically warns of high surf and strong currents, while a double red flag means conditions are dangerous enough that swimming is prohibited altogether. Most people at the beach kept their distance from the water as instructed, though a handful still cast fishing lines from the shore rather than wading in.
Others came out simply to watch the storm’s effects from a safe distance. David and Donna Jeffreys, who are visiting Fort Morgan from Clanton, said they preferred to enjoy the view from the sand rather than risk the surf. “We’ve been here for about three weeks. It has been a wonderful time on the beach until this week,” David Jeffreys said. Donna Jeffreys added, “We just enjoy the God given beauty that we have on days like this. It takes this to appreciate the hotter days or the colder days.”
Marcie Rome made the drive over from Gulf Shores with her dog, Daisy, to see Bertha’s impact on the Gulf firsthand. “We were just wanting to get out after being inside for a little while. We wanted to come down, bring Daisy and see what the wave conditions were like. It’s pretty impressive for a small storm,” Rome said.
As of Tuesday night, double red flags remained posted at Fort Morgan, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said the closure would stay in place until conditions along the coast improve. Rip currents and rough surf can persist even after a storm’s winds and rain move on, and officials continued to urge residents and visitors to keep watching posted flags and to stay out of the Gulf until it reopens.