Boca Chica Beach and the county beaches on South Padre Island were closed late Tuesday because of conditions created by Hurricane Isaac. <\/p>\n
County Judge Carlos H. Cascos ordered the temporary closing of the beaches until further notice, officials said. This includes Beach Access No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 on the northern part of the Island and Isla Blanca Park on the southern end of the Island, and Boca Chica Beach. He ordered the closures particularly because of high tides. <\/p>\n
I have asked our law enforcement authorities to ensure that no individuals or vehicles be allowed access to the beaches on the north end and sound end of South Padre Island as well as Boca Chica Beach, Cascos said in a press release. <\/p>\n
It is very important that the public pay attention to our warnings and stay out of harms way, he said. We continue to monitor tidal conditions as Hurricane Isaac makes it way to the Louisiana coast. <\/p>\n
County Parks Director Javier Mendez said officials on Tuesday had been monitoring conditions in case closures were necessary <\/p>\n
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday morning with winds of 75 mph. It was expected to get stronger by the time it reached the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. <\/p>\n
County workers removed the trash cans from beaches as a precautionary measure against higher-than-usual tides, Mendez said. <\/p>\n
The parks director said there were a few people there, including surfers taking advantage of the high waves. <\/p>\n
The National Weather Service in Brownsville said the risk of high tides and strong rip currents will continue through today. The agency said long period swells could increase waves to head height or more. Four to six feet waves are possible. In addition, some tidal run up to the sand dunes was possible, which might curtail driving on the beaches today. <\/p>\n
While Isaac is not expected to bring any rain to the Rio Grande Valley, it is expected to cause high temperatures in South Texas, according the NWS. The high today is expected to reach 99 degrees and on Thursday, 101 degrees. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Hurricane Isaac forces closure of county beaches<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Boca Chica Beach and the county beaches on South Padre Island were closed late Tuesday because of conditions created by Hurricane Isaac. Continue reading