A rash of recent drownings have propelled Panama City Beach to the top of a list of deadliest beaches in the U.S.City of Panama City Beach. The quantity of seaweed found in the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB), which stretches from the western coast of Africa into the Gulf of Mexico, shrank by 15% between April and May, according to the team of researchers that monitors sargassums growth and movement. and high (red). If 2023 is the year that you finally buy that vacation property you've been dreaming . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Joaquin Trinanes Some parts of the Florida Keys have already seen unusually large amounts of seaweed for this time of year, said Brian Lapointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic University who has studied Sargassum for most of his career. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It's tricky to predict the exact timing of the seaweed's movement, but the sargassum is expected to really start washing up in late spring and early summer, said Chuanmin Hu, who tracks the belt as a researcher at USF's College of Marine Science. March 2022 claims title as busiest March in Panama City Beach history, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. According to Wil Spivey, beach safety director for Panama. According to the Panama City Beach Herald, the city employs about 20 lifeguards who patrol nine miles of beaches within the PCB limit. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. "Double red flags mean you are not allowed in the Gulf. Getty Images. Is unlimited vacation time really unlimited? PANAMA CITY BEACH Three more tourists are dead after swimming in the Gulf of Mexico under dangerous surf conditions. But even 0.1% of the oceans surface is still a lot of seaweed. The problems start when it comes on land and starts to rot. This weekend, despite red and double red flags, numerous swimmers had to be rescued from the ocean. The tourists were swimming behind different resorts, according to the Panama City News Herald. Since 2011, the seaweeds geographic area has massively expanded. PANAMA CITY . Brian Lapointe, a researcher at Florida Atlantic Universitys Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, told CNN he believes the activity will peak in July. 2023 www.newsherald.com. Seaweed belt still on track to hit US: When will it arrive? The summer of 2022 set Sargassum records, too: Combined, the total amount of the weed increased from 18.8 million tons in May 2022 to 24.2 million tons in June 2022, setting a new historical . National Weather Service-Tallahassee Warning Coordination Meteorologist Mark Wool said the potentially record-breaking bloom could end up being a problem for tourist destinations. and a multiday baseline, classifies the risk into three categories: low (blue), medium (orange) The victim was Morytt Burden, 63, of Lithia Springs, Georgia. "The beaches are our No. Im beyond frustrated at the situation that we have with tragic and unnecessary deaths in the Gulf, Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford wrote on Facebook Monday. 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway March 2023 Atlantic Ocean The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt grew to an estimated 13.5 million metric tons of seaweed this spring. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belta goopy mass of leafy,. In black are areas with not enough data. provide an overview of the risk of sargassum coastal inundation in the Caribbean and This summer, a huge mass of sargassum seaweed that has formed in the Atlantic Ocean is expected along Florida and other coastlines. Jun 27, 2023, 03:10 PM EDT. Florida beach live webcams show surf, waves, sargassum seaweed conditions, Sargassum seaweed 'blobs' at Florida beaches, Sargassum seaweed spotted in Florida. Here's where it's going and when it will be worst, Seaweed season?Giant mats of seaweed lurk off Florida coast and have beached in spurts but will peak soon, Oy!Sargassum, a smelly seaweed, may be coming soon to a Gulf beach near you. What to know about it, Contributing: George Petras, Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Prepare yourself.Sargassum seaweed spotted in Florida. The Panama City Beach Tourist Development Council has a contract for beach maintenance and trash collection with Coastal Parasail, which is an extension of Adventures At Sea, a boat rental service in the Panama City Beach area. 2023 www.palmbeachpost.com. All rights reserved, Bloody footprints lead to arrest in Newton triple killing, Former Patriots QB Ryan Mallett dies at 35, Lawyer accused in series of Boston rapes indicted on new charges, New details in case of store clerk who allegedly stole winning $3M lottery ticket, Man charged in Newton triple killing held without bail in 1st court appearance. Panama City Beach, like any other city on the coast of Florida, is ready for any influx of sargassum onto its beaches. Personal responsibility is the only way to ensure that no one else dies.. In the Gulf of Mexico, Sargassum quantity is likely to decrease in June, which should be good news to the residents along the Florida Keys and east coast of Florida, the USF researchers said. At the start of the animation, small patches of Sargassum are scattered across the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the tropical Atlantic. Dr. Chuanmin Hu, who studies sargassum and works at the University of South Florida, says: "Sargassum peaks in summer, in June in July, there is no exception," explains Hu. Three people died in the Gulf of Mexico during severe conditions Saturday at Panama City Beach, Fla., officials said, bringing deaths there this year in surf zone incidents to a nationwide high of seven. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The stench can be unbearable. It seems that's the case with some people, and others don't mind it. The second source is in the Caribbean Sea, and usually peaks in late summer. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. pic.twitter.com/jmJH6Y1PpN, Government and law enforcement can only do so much in these situations, Ford continued. The first is local blooms, which typically peak in April and May. These experimental Sargassum Inundation Risk (SIR) fields Camp investing in Panhandle youth, It takes one to know one: How a national champion, A love for the game: Welch family legacy grows at, South Waltons Robinson shines at state competition, wreak havoc on Florida and Caribbean beaches, Satellite images show 5,000-mile seaweed belt creeping closer to US. Current weather conditions aggravate the problem of sargassum on the beaches, said Governor Carlos Joaqun Gonzlez, who explained that on days like these, with . PCB officials say trash-free beaches: are key to eco-tourism. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. "It's very much a natural-occurring thing," Fogg said. Some safety tips for beachgoers in Panama City Beach. The group maintains more than 18 miles of beaches from St. Andrews State Park to Camp Helen State Park. PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - As tourists continue to flock to the Emerald Coast, one unwelcome guest is also appearing on the beaches. It can irritate peoples eyes, nose and throat, and trigger breathing issues for people with asthma. I have watched while deputies, firefighters and lifeguards have risked their lives to save strangers. In the Gulf of Mexico, there are two sources of sargassum, NOAA researchers explain. Alabama has reported three drowning deaths along the Gulf in 2023, two in Gulf Shores and one in Fort Morgan, all due to rip currents. A string of rip current deaths in Florida's Panama City Beach have local officials pleading with beachgoers to exercise caution and take safety warnings seriously. Oy! "We maintain a vigorous beach raking schedule in Panama City Beach during our peak seasons," Rudd wrote in an email. The decaying algae releases ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which has an unpleasant odor like rotten eggs and can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. According to WFLA-TV, the 5,000 . 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. For each pixel in the image, the researchers determined how much floating algae is present by comparing its color, a yellowish brown, to the blue color of the ocean. 2 min read. Will El Nio make airplane turbulence worse? So far this year, South Florida beaches have only been hit sporadically with seaweed pileups. Camp investing in Panhandle youth, It takes one to know one: How a national champion, A love for the game: Welch family legacy grows at, South Waltons Robinson shines at state competition, The push to protect the bays with RESTORE Act money, Community provides feedback for Front Beach Road construction project, Best grill tools to take your BBQ to the next level. Source: Optical Oceanography Laboratory at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science. Gulf of Mexico regions. These events can cause significant economic, The second occurred about an hour later near Boardwalk Beach Resort at 9450 South Thomas Drive. The small creatures that live inside it, like jellyfish larvae, could sting or cause your skin to itch. Sargassum weed is something that we contend with all the time at Panama City Beach, Sale said. Part of HuffPost News. The deaths occurred Saturday off of . The city lists them as "fatal water incidents" because officials have said it is not known whether the victims drowned or had another medical emergency in the water. This week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration upgraded Big Bend beaches to a medium risk of Sargassum inundation. Still, they expect the problematic seaweed to be present in substantial amounts through June before decreasing later in the summer. Florida's seaweed season typically runs from April until October, peaking in June and July. Last modified on Thu 16 Mar 2023 12.38 EDT It's brown, it weighs millions of tons, it stretches over 5,000 miles and it is headed for Florida's beaches. Some of the information you entered will be shared with the Florida International University Atlantic/Caribbean Sargassum Epicollect database. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, OCSO confirms identity of former NFL QB in Destin, The heat is rising in Bay County: What you can do, Rep. Neal Dunn touts House bill, Biden investigation, Panama City will try to hire a new city manager without, Prigozhin has moved to Belarus, and Russia wont, 4x State Champion hired as Arnold volleyball coach, Family legacy continues, Glover returns as Sneads, C.H.A.M.P. (NOAA/AOML), NOAA/CoastWatch/OceanWatch, and USF. A number of recent drownings have propelled Panama City Beach into the top spot as the deadliest beach in America. TAMPA, Fla. A massive bloom of brown seaweed, thousands of miles wide and visible from space, is making its way toward the Gulf of Mexico. Three tourists died Saturday in Panama City Beach after swimming in Gulf of Mexico under double red flags. For those wondering what their experience will be like on their upcoming vacation, we invite you to read more about the problem and how local authorities, hotels, and students are handling the . Your contribution to this effort is greatly appreciated. An enormous clump of seaweed circulating. Sargassum, although in recent years it has become detached from patterns and can affect at any time of the year, it occurs mainly in the following months: September, October, November, December and January. Get involved at upcoming cleanup. Follow her onTwitteror Instagram at@byjensangalang. Atlantic OceanWatch May 10, 2023. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) A 5,000-mile-wide seaweed blob is slowly encroaching on the Gulf of Mexico. However, it is not nearly as high in concentration as other areas of the Panhandle, including Okaloosa County, where officials reported last week the seaweed has washed ashore in much greater quantities than past years. Wool said Sargassum has been an issue for a long time, but it has started to grow in the past decade or so. Are they the same as rip tides? Dr. Hu and other researchers in the lab have validated the accuracy of their analyses by physically collecting Sargassum in specific areas, weighing what theyve collected and comparing it with the estimate derived from the satellite picture. Certainly its a little bit alarming to hear of a band of it as big as this but its quite a long way away from here so if it comes this way, well deal with it if we need to but its a long way off yet, Sale said. Lacee Rudd, spokeswoman for Visit Panama City Beach, said that since the seaweed often mixes with trash when it washes ashore, "it is picked up (off the sand) and disposed of when the beaches are raked.". As the season moves toward summer, the density increases, and the belt shifts northward, allowing more seaweed to spread into the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. USA TODAY reports: 2023 could be big year for Sargassum. All rights reserved. What to know about it, Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy, Sargassum rots after it washes ashore and produces hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like rotten eggs and can irritate your eyes, nose and throat, The seaweed has existed for centuries, but climate change and inflows of nitrogen and man-made fertilizer from rivers have caused exponential growth over the past decade. The Sargassum isn't harmful and is actually an important habitat for certain animals that have adapted to rely on the floating algae, such as shrimp, crab, sea turtles. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. 140 7th Avenue S, MSL119 And, on April 6, 2023, The Weather Channel warned Florida residents and visitors not to touch the seaweed. Still, Saturday's deaths make seven along the coast of Bay County within nine days. "Double red flag conditions have existed on the beach for the last week," the release reads. Flags are back to yellow today on some Gulf Coast beaches. According to tracking by the National Weather Service, the U.S. has had 60 surf . It also rakes the beach twice a week from March 5 to May 22, three times a week from May 23 to Sept. 10 and two times a week from Sept. 11 to Oct. 14. Best grill tools to take your BBQ to the next level. The department also suggests using gloves if you have to handle sargassum and closing windows if you live near the beach to avoid breathing issues and bad smells. Mar. Arizona county elections director quits, accusing officials of politicization, White House picks fight with Greene over funding, Whats next for Wagner and Prigozhin as Putin rages over rebellion, Vindman: Putin is weaker today after Wagner mercenary revolt, Cheney on possible third party bid: I wont do anything that helps Donald Trump, Insurers pull back from vulnerable states amid climate risks, First locally transmitted malaria cases detected in US in decades: What you should know, Analysts estimate pickleball injuries could cost Americans as much as $500M this year, seaweed belt twice the width of the United States, These states could be on daylight saving time permanently if new bill passes, Allergy season is earlier, longer and worse in these US cities, report finds, Death of Texas airport worker ingested into plane engine ruled a suicide, NTSB investigating after worker ingested into airplane engine in San Antonio. A total of seven people have died at the beach in the past nine days as rip currents have created . Floating Sargassum serves as shelter and breeding grounds for fish, crabs and endangered sea turtles. Wake up to the day's most important news. COMPANY: NC+ Hybrids-Ronnie Morris, (512) 321-1239; June 10-20 Tillering# June 21-30 Tillering# July 1-7 Tillering# July 8-15 Tillering# Hybrid: Tiller For beachgoers who observe sargassum washing up on shore, the Florida Department of Health recommends they avoid touching or swimming near the seaweed.
Inside No 9 Hurry Up And Wait Ending Explained, 10 Days In Switzerland Summer, Articles W