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What does each beach flag color mean? A guide to the warning system amid severe weather and shark attacks.
Nothing says a warm day quite like the beach, but beyond the shore lies a number of dangers, from rip currents and strong waves to shark attacks and bobbing jellyfish. Onshore, however, you will likely find a flag warning you of potential dangers, and whether it’s purple, yellow, red or blue can tell you which hazard could be lurking in the waters.
A day on the beach can be full of fun, but when swimming in the ocean, be aware of its conditions and what other forms of life could be present beneath the surface. According to the U.S. Lifesaving Association, beach flags and their designated meanings were created to help inform people of just that. Many of these flags are also used around the world.
So what exactly are beach flags and what do they mean? Here are the flags approved by the association for use on beaches where lifeguards are trained to its standards.
Green beach flag
When ocean conditions are calm or mild, the beach may not have a flag up, as the International Life Saving Federation decided not to officially adopt the color. But some localities will fly a green flag to indicate that the water is safe.
The international body didn’t adopt the green flag because “there is always a potential hazard present,” the USLA says on its website, “and the view that it is best to notify people when conditions are unusually challenging, rather than suggesting that they are ever completely safe.”
Yellow beach flag
Yellow beach flags indicate that there is a “medium hazard” at the beach, the association says, with the ocean exhibiting moderate surf conditions and/or currents. When this flag is up, weak swimmers should refrain from going into the water, while others should exercise “enhanced care and caution.”
Beachgoers should be aware of the potential for rip currents, which can form anywhere where waves are present in any kind of weather or conditions. These currents can be deadly and are most often seen at low tide when waves are at least 2 feet tall.
Red beach flag
As with many things, red indicates hazards on the beach. The association says that when this bold red flag is up, it means that there are rough conditions in the water, like strong surf and currents. At this point, the association said, “all swimmers are discouraged from entering the water,” and those who choose to do so anyway, “should take great care.”
Double red beach flag
If you see double red — or two red flags stacked on top of each other — it means the water is closed to the public.
Purple beach flag
At the beach, purple means pests — but don’t worry, that doesn’t necessarily include sharks. Purple flags will be posted when marine animals that can cause minor injuries, such as jellyfish and stingrays, are in the area. The association says that the flag “is not intended to indicate the presence of sharks,” although some destinations may use purple to indicate they are present. Always look at your destination’s specific warning system before going to the beach.
Red and yellow beach flag
If you see a single flag that’s half red and half yellow, the area you’re in is among the safest on the beach. The flags indicate an area is protected by lifeguards and is being closely supervised. According to the association, a single flag can be posted to show an area where swimming is permitted and is being guarded, or could be used in pairs spaced apart to more clearly designate a supervised zone.
Red and white beach flag
Flags that are quartered into red and white mean one thing — it’s time to leave the water. If one of these flags is up, swimmers should immediately evacuate the surf because of an emergency, such as water contamination, a water rescue or even marine creatures that have the potential to cause major harm, like sharks, are present.
Sometimes, however, purple flags or double red flags are used when sharks are present. These guidelines set forth by the association are guidelines, and localities can use flags as they see fit.
Black and white beach flag
Surfers will want to keep an eye out for black-and-white flags. These flags, which have those colors quartered, are used when an area is designated only for surfboards and other nonpowered watercraft. Swimmers need to stay out of the areas to prevent injuries or other issues.
Yellow beach flag with central black ball
If surfers and paddleboarders see this flag – a yellow rectangle with a large black circle in its center — it means that surfboards and other nonpowered watercraft can’t be used at all.
Orange windsock
Windsocks are a long-used scientific tool, but at the beach, they can be life-saving. If an orange windsock is up, not only can you see the direction the wind is going and see how forceful it is, but it also indicates that it’s not safe for inflatable objects to be used in the water, the association says. This can be particularly important for those who use inflatable rafts or swimming rings for their children.
A beach warning reminder
While these are the flags used by the association, some areas may use flags slightly differently. Florida, for example, has a uniform statewide system that only uses purple, green, yellow, red and double red flags. Before going to the beach, it’s always best to search for the beach flag system for that specific location, or even ask lifeguards you find on the sand and check the local weather for any storms or currents that are expected.
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North Carolina’s Asheville devastated after Helene’s damage cuts power, floods roads
Floodwaters pushed by the remnants of Hurricane Helene left North Carolina’s largest mountain city largely cut off Saturday by damaged roads and a lack of power and cellphone service, part of a swath of destruction across southern Appalachia that left an unknown number dead and countless worried relatives unable to reach loved ones.
In North Carolina alone, more than 400 roads remained closed on Saturday as floodwaters began to recede and reveal the extent of damage. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said that supplies were being airlifted to that part of the state. Cooper said two people died in his state, Helene killed at least 52 people across multiple states.
Among those rescued from rising waters was nurse Janetta Barfield, whose car was swamped on Friday morning as she left an overnight shift at Asheville’s Mission Hospital. She said she watched a car in front of her drive through standing water and thought it was safe to proceed. But her car stalled, and within minutes water had filled her front seat up to her chest. A nearby police officer who saw her car stall helped her to safety.
“It was unbelievable how fast that creek got just in like five minutes,” Barfield said.
Early on Saturday morning, many gas stations were closed because they didn’t have electricity, and the few that were open had hourlong lines wrapped around the block. The hub of tourism and arts, home to about 94,000 people, was unusually still after floodwaters swamped neighborhoods known for drawing visitors including Biltmore Village and the River Arts District, which is home to numerous galleries, shops and breweries.
More than 700,000 power customers were without power across North Carolina, including 160,000 in Buncombe County. Interstate 40 and I-26 were impassible in multiple locations, and a state transportation department map showed that most routes into Asheville and across much of the mountains were snarled. North Carolina’s Department of Transportation posted on social media on Saturday afternoon that “all roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed.”
In Asheville, there was no cellular service and no timeline for when it would be restored.
“We have had some loss of life,” County Emergency Services Director Van Taylor Jones told reporters. However, he said they were not ready to report any specifics. Officials have been hindered in contacting next of kin by the communications outages. Asheville police instituted a curfew from 7:30 p.m. Friday to 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
“The curfew is to ensure the public’s safety and will be in effect until further notice,” police said.
Asheville transit services were also suspended, police said. The city advised residents to boil “all water used for human consumption,” as there was at least one significant water line break during the storm. Many residents might not be getting water or reduced or no pressure water.
Jones said the area experienced a cascade of emergencies that included heavy rain, high winds and mudslides. Officials said they tried to prepare for the storm but its magnitude was beyond what they could have imagined.
“It’s not that we (were) not prepared, but this is going to another level,” Sheriff Quentin Miller said. “To say this caught us off-guard would be an understatement.”
Atlanta resident Francine Cavanaugh said she has been unable to reach her sister, son, or friends in the Asheville area.
“My sister checked in with me yesterday morning to find out how I was in Atlanta,” she said on Saturday. “The storm was just hitting her in Asheville, and she said it sounded really scary outside.”
Cavanaugh said her sister had no idea how bad the storm would be there. She told Cavanaugh she was going to head out to check on guests at a vacation cabin “and that’s the last I heard of her. I’ve been texting everyone that I know with no response. All phone calls go directly to voicemail.”
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Embattled Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre to resign
The CEO of a hospital operator that filed for bankruptcy protection in May will step down after failing to testify before a U.S. Senate panel.
Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre has overseen a network of some 30 hospitals around the country. The Texas-based company’s troubled recent history has drawn scrutiny from elected officials in New England, where some of its hospitals are located.
A spokesperson for de la Torre told the Associated Press Saturday that he “has amicably separated from Steward on mutually agreeable terms” and “will continue to be a tireless advocate for the improvement of reimbursement rates for the underprivileged patient population.”
A CBS News investigation that spanned nearly two years documented how private equity investors and de la Torre extracted hundreds of millions of dollars while healthcare workers and patients struggled to get the life-saving supplies they needed.
In August, the company closed two Massachusetts hospitals, leaving about 1,200 workers jobless, according to the state.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said earlier this month that Congress “will hold Dr. de la Torre accountable for his greed and for the damage he has caused to hospitals and patients throughout America.”
De la Torre’s resignation is effective Oct. 1. The Senate approved a resolution on Wednesday that was intended to hold him in criminal contempt for failing to testify before a committee.
The Senate panel has been looking into Steward’s bankruptcy. De la Torre did not appear before it despite being issued a subpoena. The resolution refers the matter to a federal prosecutor.
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