It only takes a split second for a normal day at the beach to become tragic.
The threat of rip currents is keeping some on edge in Baldwin county. Including Amy Roe. She’s visiting the area with her two children.
“All it takes is for you to lose your footing and if there’s a rip current and the kids aren’t paying attention, they will not know enough to swim away and then it’s too late. If I were to try and go out, and there’s no lifeguard, It’s not good,” Roe said. Roe said she checks the conditions every day. And during this trip, she’s keeping her family away from the risk.“When we were here Wednesday, the water was much rougher than this. But still, this can be dangerous,” Linda Swaim said.Many things can help you to identify a rip current like water texture, water movement and even color.
But the biggest help in staying safe from a rip current could be checking with your local beach before making the trip.“It’s a good life experience to realize that you can’t always do what you want, and you make do with what you got,” Roe said. Red flags are expected to be flying Friday as well. The National Weather Service is forecasting yellow flag conditions for the weekend.