NAGS HEAD, N.C. — Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks are rolling out a new flag system to improve warnings of surf conditions for beachgoers.
Under Nags Head Ocean Rescue's new system, yellow flags indicate a medium hazard with moderate surf and/or currents present. Weak swimmers are discouraged from getting into the water, while others should use extra care and caution.
Red flags indicate a high hazard due to strong surf and/or currents, a time when all swimmers are discouraged from getting into the water.
Double red flags mean the water is closed to the public and swimming in the ocean is illegal. This includes entry into the water using a floatation device such as a raft or float.
"This shall not include entry assisted by a 'surfboard' or 'body board and swim fins,'" Nags Head Ocean Rescue wrote in a social media post.
Nags Head Ocean Rescue Captain Chad Motz said only surfers and bodyboarders with certain equipment will still be able to go in the water during double red flags. Otherwise, lifeguards will give verbal warnings to swimmers and ultimately call law enforcement if they continue to get in the water.
Motz said the goal of the new system is to better protect beachgoers and lifeguards during rough ocean conditions.
“After big storm systems come through, and we have debris in the water, pilings... It’s just absolutely dangerous some days for everybody to be out there," he said.
Motz added that lifeguards in Nags Head respond to roughly 250 water rescues every year. He hopes the new system will lower that number.
Motz said crews will use National Weather Service forecasts to determine when conditions are rough enough to fly double red flags. The change goes into effect Memorial Day weekend through Oct. 15.
The flags align with the United States Lifesaving Association's standards, which the organization says "ensure a universal understanding of their meaning and thus improve their effectiveness."
Nags Head Ocean Rescue said it is working with Dare County Emergency Management and the National Weather Service to determine the level of risk each day. Even with the flags in place, people should ask a lifeguard about the daily conditions at the beach.
A spokesperson for Kill Devil Hills said the town will be also implement the double red flags system this summer.
"While the Town of Kill Devil Hills will also be implementing the double red flags into our ocean condition warning system beginning this summer, we focus heavily on a proactive educational approach with our beachgoers," the spokesperson wrote in a statement.
Kitty Hawk has a similar beach warning system, too.
The town’s website says swimming in the ocean is prohibited during “No Swimming” red flags. It can result in a $250 fine.