Beaches will remain closed until further notice.
IRC Red Tide Update for October 30, 2018
Indian River County is still experiencing red tide conditions and all beaches in Indian River County will remain closed until further notice.
The County’s marine debris removal contractor initiated debris removal last Saturday, October 20th.
General Updates:
- Yesterday the winds were mainly out north.
- We did not see a significant amount of new fish washing ashore nor respiratory discomfort today.
- It is currently unknown how the expected northeast to east winds tonight into Wednesday will affect the amount of new dead fish along the county’s coast.
- Approximately 1-2 miles of beach cleaning remains in north county and approximately 5 miles of beach cleaning remains in the south county.
- We will continue to focus our clean-up efforts Tuesday in the northern part of the county (Turtle Trail are into Indian River Shores beaches; approximately 1-2 miles).
- Water samples were collected at the following locations on Monday and have been shipped to FWC. We expect results late Tuesday.
- Round Island
- Sexton Plaza
- Wabasso
- Sebastian Inlet State Park
Progress as of the end of day Monday:
- The contractor has cleared approximately 16.5 miles of 22.5 miles of countywide shoreline.
- The total weight removed Monday was 14,500 pounds bringing the total to date at approximately 132,000pounds.
Anticipated work today (Tuesday):
- The Contractor will continue to use the Turtle Trail Beach Park area in the morning/afternoon to clear approximately 1-2 more miles of beach then anticipates mobilization to the South Beach Park in the afternoon.
Weather Conditions:
- Yesterday the winds were mainly out of the NNE and will switch to out of the east on Wednesday.
We encourage all people to follow the recommendations provided by the Department of Health:
- People, especially those with respiratory issues, are encouraged to stay away from the beaches if possible until further notice. Persons may experience throat irritation and/or coughing if directly exposed to Red Tide.
- Higher wind or tides can spread Red Tide more quickly.
- Dead fish are not to be eaten! Be cautious with any fish caught from the southeastern coast of Florida.
- Do not consume shellfish of any kind caught in this area until the Red Tide passes.
- The Indian River County Emergency Information Center is available to take your phone calls from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please call 772-226-4000.
We would recommend that the public stay out of the water and if the odor causes any type of irritation the public should leave and head indoors. At this time we are waiting for a report from the Indian River County Health Department/ Fish and Wildlife Commission for updated information.
Click links below for more information
Red Tide Information - Indian River County
Red Tide Information - City of Vero Beach