As you are walking along the beautiful beaches of Panama City, make sure to pay special attention to the warning flags that are located along the beaches.  They are typically located at beach chair rental booths, flag poles or lifegaurd areas and they can be the key to a safe and happy vacation. 

The original beach safety flag system was initiated in 2002.  To increase protection for the millions of visitors and residents enjoying Florida's coastal waters, Governor Jeb Bush signed legislation in June 2005 to strengthen the State’s beach warning and safety flag system.  This was done to ensure statewide consistency, eliminate confusion and widen the availability of the uniform coastal warning system.

Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the colors and meanings so that you can enjoy all of the beauty of the Emerald Coast beaches without any problems:

• Green: Low hazard, calm conditions.
• Yellow: Medium hazard, moderate surf and/or currents.
• Red: High hazard, rough conditions, strong surf and/or currents.
• Red over Red: Water closed to the public.
• Purple: Marine pests present.

For more information on Florida’s beach flag safety system, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/cmp/programs/flags.htm  (right click to open in new window)