Health & Safety
IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY CALL 911!
For more beach health and safety resources scroll down.
Beach Safety Flags:
You won’t usually see green flags flying in Walton County due to the almost constant threat of rip currents. You may occasionally see green flags in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Escambia counties. Yellow flags are almost universally flown in calm conditions.
Speaking of counties: KNOW WHERE YOU ARE! This is useful for safety, beach closures, weather alerts, and other beach-related alerts. I know the developers do their best to make it confusing, so I will help.
This is a general map of what is considered “the Emerald Coast”. Pensacola and Mexico Beach are also part of the Emerald Coast, but most of the confusion is about the beach areas in Okaloosa and Walton county, so please refer to this:
Everything from Miramar Beach east is Walton or Bay County. Sandestin is a resort in Walton County, not a town. Everything west of Miramar Beach is Okaloosa County. More specifically: if you are west of Emerald Bay Drive (off Highway 98) or you have reached Captain Dave’s driving west on Scenic 98 you are in Destin in Okaloosa County.
Please note that Destin and Santa Rosa Beach are municipalities (although Santa Rosa Beach is unincorporated). The beach-side communities listed in smaller font are mostly developments, not actual towns.
Here are some more useful links:
Beach Webcams-sometimes these will give you an idea of local conditions in South Walton
International Shark Attack File
Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
Walton County Beach Ordinances I
The June Grass Report 