City Monitoring Beach Conditions Due to Hurricane Ian

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The National Hurricane Center is expected to upgrade Hurricane Ian to a category four storm tonight, meaning it has the potential to bring winds up to 156 miles per hour to Florida’s west coast. 

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service Office – Corpus Christi forecast that Hurricane Ian will cause hazardous conditions to Corpus Christi’s gulf beaches beginning Wednesday and continuing through the weekend.

These threats include an elevated risk for rip currents and extremely rough surf with waves as high as eight to 12 feet. Swimmers should use extreme caution due to dangerous water conditions.

A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect from midnight tonight through Friday morning.

Coastal flooding is forecasted to push water to the dunes and could force the closure of beach access roads to vehicle traffic. With beach access roads being inundated by water, residents wanting to visit the beach should park along access roads and walk to the beach. The City will notify the Texas General Land Office of any access road closures due to water inundation.

City lifeguards will be located on beach access roads and use mobile units to respond to emergencies. In response to adverse weather conditions, the City will place message boards at beach access roads advising the public of water and beach conditions.   

Visitors should observe and follow the flag warning system to stay updated about surf and rip current conditions.

North Beach properties, including homes, businesses, and some infrastructure in low-lying areas, could be inundated with flooding along the immediate waterfront. These conditions may last until early next week as bay waters take longer to recede into the gulf through the Corpus Christi Ship Channel.

The public is urged to take precautions and follow local advisories for updates on beach conditions by visiting Corpus Christi Beaches | City of Corpus Christi (cctexas.com).