The past few days have been wrought with tragedies involving people from Louisiana and drownings. We have reported stories of a toddler drowning in a resort swimming pool. That happened in Gulfport Mississippi. There was also the story of a 14-year-old Louisiana boy who was celebrating his birthday at the beach and was pulled under by strong currents in Orange Beach Alabama.

City Of Orange Beach via YouTube
City Of Orange Beach via YouTube
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Unfortunately, both of those tragedies could have been prevented. The purpose of this article is to remind you that precautions will be necessary if you and your family are heading to any of the popular beach spots along the Gulf Coast this weekend and into next week.

Many of us in South Louisiana make the trek to the Redneck Riviera several times during the summer season. The beaches are nice, the resorts are wonderful, and the water is usually calm. For the next few days that water is not going to be calm at all.

weather.gov/mob
weather.gov/mob
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The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Mobile has issued a rip current statement for beachgoers this weekend. The High Surf and Rip Current Advisories cover all of the beaches from Lower Alabama, aka Orange Beach and Gulf Shores eastward through Pensacola Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, and even on toward Panama City.

Bathers are expected to look for and adhere to the warning flags posted on each beach and act accordingly. If you're not familiar with the code, a green flag means conditions are fine for bathing. A yellow flag denotes a medium hazard. Weak swimmers are discouraged from bathing if a yellow flag is displayed. A red flag means conditions are not safe for swimmers of any calibre to be in the water. If you see a double red flag displayed it means the water is off-limits for public use.

Staff Photo
Staff Photo
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The good news is that the next several days should be great beach days as far as sunbathing is concerned. It should also be nice for hanging out by the resort or hotel pool. Just be very careful in the water and make sure you have a close watch on children and others who might not be considered strong swimmers.

And if you're making the drive to the beach this weekend, you'll no doubt be whining about gas prices. Here are a few funnies to help ease the pain at the pump.

15 Funny Gas Memes

Gas prices are high and our sense of humor about it all is not. Let's change that with some funny memes about high gas prices.

 

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