Florida Beaches Issue Warning Ahead of Louisiana Spring Break

Many students from elementary through college age in Louisiana are anticipating a little time off over the next few days. That's because Easter, which is this weekend, is the traditional beginning of spring break for many school systems across the state.

Among those school systems that will be taking a week off in the week following Easter Sunday are students in Lafayette Parish Public Schools and those students who attend classes at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. 

For many families in Acadiana, spring break is usually the first beach trip of the season. The weather around South Louisiana and the Gulf South, in general, has certainly been warm enough for beach trips over the past few weeks. And while the sun and sand might be calling your name over the next few weeks, please be mindful of warnings that local authorities along the Florida Panhandle and the beaches of Lower Alabama have issued.

As you can see from the graphic made possible by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Mobile,m Alabama, the beach is not exactly a safe place for swimming, at least for the next several days. As you can see, the instances of rip currents are quite high and this has led to several water rescues along the Redneck Riviera over the past few days.

Just yesterday four people had to be pulled from the water after they were caught up in rip currents off the beach at Perdido Key. Three of the four were airlifted to local hospitals, and two of those patients were children. A fourth person was pulled from the water but was transported for further care via ambulance.

You've probably seen a sign like this when you've visited the beach. Make sure you read it and understand what the color of each flag means for your personal safety and the safety of your family too.

Beach officials said yellow flags were flying along the beach at the time of the incident. And as you can see in the graphic posted earlier in this article many of the beaches along the Alabama and Florida coasts will carry warnings for bathers all the way through Sunday.

If you do have spring break plans that carry you to any of the Gulf Coast beaches over the next several days please know that weather conditions will be unsettled, at least through the first part of next week. So, maybe you should spend your outside time around the swimming pool at your condo or hotel.

And as far as next week goes,

Oh, and just for fun, Mother Nature could be spinning up a pre-season tropical system just off the Alabama/Florida coast during the week next week. This will only exacerbate the rain and clouds and most likely keep those beach warning flags a color other than green. Please be safe.