Heard About Michigan’s New Double Red Flag Warning for Beaches?

Great Lakes beaches are nice but these lake's conditions can fluctuate and change quickly so a new double red flag warning has been added for your safety.

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What Are the Colored Flags for at the Beach?

The Great Lakes are very powerful bodies of water that can be very dangerous to people swimming and boating. Colored flags are near beaches and represent the current status of the water as it relates to swimmers' and boaters' safety.

What is a Riptide?

The picture above is a great look at 3 rip currents that can easily pop up unannounced and pull a person to their death. A riptide is a specific type of water current that can occur near beaches where waves break. A rip current can be very strong and localized and easily pull a person through lines of breaking waves like a river flowing out to sea.

Flag warnings on beaches are there to let swimmers know to stay out of the water because of rip currents and dangerous high waves.

What is the Breakdown on Michigan Beach Flags

With most Great Lakes beaches not having lifeguards at all times, people need some sore of warning system to let them know the safety of the water.

A red flag means there is a high surf and/or stong currents and it is recommened that you stay on the beach out of the water.

A yellow flag means there is a medium hazard with moderate surf and/or currents. When this flag is flying it is important to watch for dangerous currents and high waves.

The green flag is the one you really want to see when you plan to make a day of it on the beach. Green means its a low hazard day with calm conditions. Enter the water, but still use caution since the Great Lakes can change so quickly.

Michigan Beaches Have a New Double Red Flag Warning

Last year the double red flags were added to the flag warning system used on the Great Lakes. When you see two red flags on a the beach do not enter the water, access is closed. Double red flags indicated dangerous conditions. You can still hang on the beach but not in the water.