Padre Island beaches reopen to vehicles, swimming not advised

High risk of rip tides remains

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The beaches on North and South Padre Island National Seashore are back open to vehicle traffic after closing due to super high tides. The beaches were closed to drivers earlier this week because of high tides and dangerous beach conditions caused by Hurricane Franklin.

The National Park Service still advises against swimming in the area because of dangerously strong currents, called rip currents. There is also a heat advisory in effect today.

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The National Park Service has the following tips for people who plan to drive on the beach:

  • Use a four-wheel drive
  • Bring a tow rope and shovel
  • Check the tides before you get on the beach
  • Know the limitations of your vehicle.
  • Bring a spare key kept on your person
  • USE CAUTION!

It’s also recommended that you check this website for the latest driving conditions and alerts before visiting the Padre Island National Seashore.

SAFETY SNAPSHOT: BEACH DRIVING Both North and South beaches are once again open to beach driving. - Beach is hard...

Posted by Padre Island National Seashore on Friday, August 11, 2017

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About the Author:

Julie Moreno has worked in local television news for more than 25 years. She came to KSAT as a news producer in 2000. After producing thousands of newscasts, she transitioned to the digital team in 2015. She writes on a wide variety of topics from breaking news to trending stories and manages KSAT’s daily digital content strategy.