Gulf shores: New flag system for Orange Beach

ORANGE BEACH -- A five-flag beach warning system used along the neighboring Florida Panhandle was adopted by the City Council on Tuesday evening.

Orange Beach will manage the flagging system at the three state-owned beaches within its city limits and implement it on public beaches that developers have promised to give to the city, according to local officials.

"In the past, it was always, 'It's a state park, let them do it.' I'm not sure we have the luxury of continuing that in the future," City Administrator Jeff Moon told council members last week.

Like neighboring Gulf Shores, Orange Beach has traditionally used only a single red flag to signify dangerous swimming conditions.

Gulf Shores will also consider switching to five flags, Mayor G.W. "Billy" Duke III said Tuesday afternoon.

"We need to all get on the same system so there's not any confusion," Duke said, adding that he would be discussing the change with his parks and recreation department and Orange Beach.

Three years ago, Gulf Shores made it illegal to swim off public beaches when a red flag was flying. At that time, lifeguards said they were regularly having rescuing Gulf swimmers who had ignored danger warnings.

Dauphin Island beaches on the western side of the Alabama coast don't use a flag system to alert people to hazardous conditions.

Under the system that Orange Beach adopted, the five flags are:

Green, which signifies calm conditions.

By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter