JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. -- Hurricane Sandy is making a big, sandy mess of Jacksonville Beach. In fact, the beaches are closed until further notice.
Captain Tom Wright, a Jacksonville Beach Lifeguard, said, "The City Manager, and my supervisors, and myself have made the decision to close the beach, just to err on the side of caution and just tell people to stay out of the water."
And that means everybody, even surfers. Because it's offseason, lifeguards aren't fully staffed. "We're a seasonal beach patrol," said Wright. "We don't have a lot of people on staff. And it would just be easier to just keep people out of the water.
Hurricane Sandy has the water churning. It's so windy, even the birds are hunkering down. And now that the double flags are flying, tourists are encouraged to enjoy this marvel of Mother Nature from the shore.
Keep in mind, swimmers who refuse to get out of the water could be arrested. Jax Beach police say those swimmers are not only endangering their own lives, but the lives of rescuers who may have to save them.
The beaches will be closed at least through Saturday. Lifeguards say they'll re-evaluate Sunday morning, and decide whether it's safe to reopen.
