CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — If you head out to area beaches in the next several days, prepare to see orange flags flying along the waters.
City officials say after significant rains, orange flags were raised after seeing reports of higher levels of bacteria in the water. They added it is normal to see more bacteria in the waters after significant rains.
According to the city's website, orange flags indicate an environmental hazard for air and/or water quality. Bacteria count can be high after extreme rain events and high tides. Red Tide may be present when air/water quality may be poor.
Health officials say when these flags are up, swimmers are more at risk of getting cuts or wounds infected. Many beach goers were unaware of the risks today and expressed concern after learning the meaning behind the orange flags. "I saw a lot of little kids, and I'm a mom, so if my son was here with me I wouldn't let him in. I would hope they would yield the same amount of caution, however that's fine, to each their own," says Jasmine Cordova.
The city will change the flags once the agency that monitors the water sees the bacteria levels drop. Public health officials say the levels will remain as long as we experience heavy rain.
Check which beaches are experiencing high levels of bacteria at https://cgis.glo.texas.gov/Beachwatch/ .
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