VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The unofficial start of summer hasn’t been the sunny, warm weekend many planned for.
Red flags have been flying at the Oceanfront since Friday, warning people to stay out of the rough water.
“This wind is making the waves extra crazy, so I don’t really see a lot of people out there,” said Gonzalo, who's visiting from Northern Virginia.
Gonzalo hoped to celebrate his birthday sitting in the sun by the beach, but Mother Nature had different plans.
“Walk around, see the sights, so you still have to take advantage of the day,” he said.
And Gonzalo isn’t the only one making the most of the bad weather.
Chix on the Beach General Manager Victoria Kelly said the restaurant planned to have live music on their outdoor deck Saturday; however, the strong winds forced them to adjust.
“We just had to accommodate considering the weather, and now we have a band playing inside,” Kelly said.
She said despite the gloom, so far, they’ve still had a successful weekend.
“Obviously looking outside, it’s not that beautiful. But, it’s definitely beautiful inside,” she laughed.
And if you want to avoid the next time red flags are flying at the beach, you’re in luck.
The Virginia Beach Emergency Communications and Citizens Services recently created text updates that alert you of poor beach conditions.
All you have to do is text the word "BEACH" to 67283 to sign up for the alerts. That'll enroll you in text updates on beach conditions like red flags, water quality concerns, and closures.
“So that we can our citizens and our visitors up to date, real-time status of what our waterways are like, whether it’s at the bay, whether it’s at the Oceanfront, Sandbridge,” said Jada Lee, the director of the Virginia Beach Emergency Communications and Citizens Services.
Lee said the beach report launched roughly two weeks ago and so far, more than 1,000 people have opted in for the texts.