DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The July 4 holiday weekend is always one of the busiest at our area beaches.
In Volusia County, law enforcement has been on high alert since Friday.
In New Smyrna Beach police are dealing with everything from parking problems to crowds.
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In Daytona Beach, the big issue continues to be the rip current.
Beach patrol has rescued 140 people over the past two days.
From rescuing people from rip currents to stopping visitors from setting off fireworks in the sand, Volusia Beach Safety Captain AJ Miller said the work has been non-stop.
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“Tomorrow morning for the fourth of July we have a high tide at about 9:20 a.m. We don’t expect morning closures, but it is a possibility. So, we are going to have a massive amount of beach throughout the day and it’s just going to grow and we’re going to have a lot of people,” Miller said.
In New Smyrna Beach, it’s the first holiday that police are clamping down on parking enforcement after a new ordinance was passed last month.
“In the past people have just chosen to park wherever and take their citation as just a parking fee but now the egregious violations when people are blocking intersections, blocking crosswalks, intersections, fire hydrants, those people can be towed and people will be responsible for paying for the tow and impound fee,” said New Smyrna Beach Deputy Chief Chris Kirk.
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Crowd control is also a concern after issues and many teen arrests in New Smyrna Beach last year, police put a permanent youth curfew in place and have additional staff for support.
“Just come out, have a good time and do it the right way,” Kirk added.
Safety officials are reminding people to only swim in front of staffed lifeguard towers.
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The red flag has been flying all weekend due to rip current risks.
On Monday, officials also flew the purple flag because of jellyfish.
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