City Advises Public to Use Caution While at Gulf Beaches Due to Dangerous Conditions

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - Hurricane Ian is forecasted to become a major Hurricane tonight and emerge into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday.

Despite remaining east of Corpus Christi, the National Weather Service expects Hurricane Ian to cause dangerous conditions on the City's gulf beaches starting Wednesday and continuing through Saturday. These threats include a high risk for rip currents, extremely rough surf with waves as high as eight to 12 feet, and coastal flooding that may bring water to the dunes and force the closure of beach access roads to vehicle traffic. With beach access roads being inundated by water, residents wanting to visit the beach should park along access roads and walk to the beach. The City will notify the Texas General Land Office of the access road closures if any.

Trash cans and lifeguard stands have been removed from gulf beaches to prepare for adverse weather conditions.

City lifeguards will be located on beach access roads and will use mobile units to respond to emergencies. In response to adverse weather conditions, the City will place message boards at beach access roads advising the public of water and beach conditions.

Public safety is one of the City's top priorities. City staff will monitor the Packery Channel jetty gate for possible closure due to dangerous wave action. Visitors should observe and follow the flag warning system to stay updated about surf and rip current conditions.

Water levels on Corpus Christi Bay will be higher than normal, however, wave heights and intensity are not forecasted to be above normal.

The public is urged to take precautions and follow local advisories for updates on beach conditions by visiting Corpus Christi Beaches | City of Corpus Christi (cctexas.com).

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