Island beachgoers soon will have more tools to stay informed in Holmes Beach.
City commissioners reached a consensus Aug. 27 to approve the addition of 10 informative beach boxes along unguarded areas of the Gulf shoreline to inform people about surf and current conditions.
The boxes feature a pointed top where warning flags indicating current conditions can be posted, as well as space inside to store the flags.
Different flags indicate different conditions, such as:
- One green flag: low hazard and calm conditions;
- One yellow flag: medium hazard, moderate surf and/or current conditions;
- One red flag: high hazard, high surf and/or strong currents;
- Two red flags: water closed to the public;
- One blue flag: dangerous marine life.
The boxes also have two faces with signage to educate readers about the flags’ meanings and to advise that there are no lifeguards on duty in the area.
The same warning flag system is used at lifeguard towers at Manatee County’s three public beaches, Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach and Manatee Public Beach.
However, most of the island’s shoreline is not overseen by county lifeguards and currently lack such information for beachgoers.
Police Chief Bill Tokajer said county lifeguards would adjust the warning flags at each of the beach boxes as conditions change.
The chief said he had selected locations to install the boxes at beach accesses on 26th, 30th, 33rd, 35th, 38th, 47th, 52nd, 67th, 71st and 77th streets.
The city could add more beach boxes in the future if commissioners found them beneficial.
County beach patrol chief Chet Brown has said the beach boxes would not be permanent structures and could be removed in emergency situations, such as incoming hurricanes.
He said QR codes would be found on each box that could be scanned for more information.
County lifeguards also will begin roaming patrols of the beaches in October, with one patrol covering north of Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, and another patrolling to the south.
Commission Chair Terry Schaefer supported the proposal but asked for the beach boxes to be installed in the least obtrusive way possible for nearby property owners.
The county-led initiative also will involve the installation of flag boxes in Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach.