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EMA director warns of dangerous surf, urges beachgoers to stay out of water
Summary
Baldwin County EMA Director Tom Toller told commissioners a tropical‑storm environment could produce dangerous surf—"waves up to 8, 9, 10, 11 feet, possibly"—and localized heavy rain; he urged visitors to heed flag warnings and avoid the water.
Tom Toller, the county’s emergency management director, told the Baldwin County Commission that an approaching storm system could produce "some very dangerous surf, waves up to 8, 9, 10, 11 feet, possibly." He said a tropical storm warning and a storm surge watch were in effect for Baldwin and Mobile counties and that the surge was not expected to exceed about 3 to 4 feet in most places but could be locally higher.
Toller said flags were at single red at county beaches and that officials could move to double red later in the day, advising residents and visitors to “stay out of the water.” He emphasized reaching visitors—who may not follow local news—is a major challenge and described recent outreach efforts, including a "Be Safe" campaign and local news coverage.
Chair (speaker 1) thanked Toller for the update and noted the county had been distributing safety messages through staff and local media channels. The commission did not take formal action but accepted the update; Toller offered to remain available for follow‑up questions and urged people to prioritize safety over recreation.
The commission’s next steps: staff will continue public messaging and coordinate with state and local partners as conditions evolve; no evacuation or mandatory orders were announced in the transcript excerpt.
