CLEARWATER, Fla. — Test results that came back Friday afternoon showed high bacteria levels at Clearwater Beach, Mandalay Park and Sand Key, according to the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County. A public health advisory has been issued at those locations.
These results at Gulf Coast beaches were anticipated after Hurricane Idalia moved through the region earlier this week and might be enough to give some beachgoers pause heading into the Labor Day holiday weekend. Officials say people should stay out of the water — swimming is not recommended due to high levels of enterococci bacteria.
"The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage," the health department said in a statement.
Following the passage of major tropical systems, like Hurricane Idalia, all of the water dumped inland has to go somewhere — and that's back out to the Gulf of Mexico, increasing bacteria levels and other gunk swimmers might not want to come into contact.
An excess of a foot of rain fell across many locations after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida in September 2022 and satellite imagery in the days afterward showed the state "shedding" excess water back into the Gulf.
The view from astronaut Bob Hines showed some of the brown, murky water — the runoff — emptying into the Gulf of Mexico from southwest Florida.
Here's the look at the state of Florida and the surrounding waters as of Friday, Sept. 1 — while not as dramatic-looking after Hurricane Ian, you can some areas of excess runoff off the Gulf Coast.
Some people were seen on a few of the 10 Tampa Bay beach cams heading out into the water Friday morning. People can keep an eye on this page, the Florida Healthy Beaches Program, to monitor the latest water quality reports as they become available.
Although many Tampa Bay-area beaches are open through the holiday weekend for guests, officials in Treasure Island asked people not to visit Sunset Beach and sightsee — residents there are busy cleaning up after the storm and some coastal erosion.
Caddy's and Ta'Kiki are open, however.