No Walk Beach Walk

With hurricane Ike out in the gulf I thought it would be fun to take a beach walk and see what kind of surf he was kicking up. I drove out to Okaloosa Island intending to go to the isolated area of beach that I usually walk—I couldn’t get there. Sheriff’s Deputies had blocked off the East lanes of highway 98 because water was washing up on part of it..

All cars were turned back and I ended up parking at the Okaloosa Island boardwalk. When I finally got out to see the surf it was incredible. The waves were in the 10-ft range and since I was right next to the pier I had the bonus of watching the waves break on the pier supports.



I stayed about 45 minutes enjoying the show. The water was washing up underneath the boardwalk I was on. No one was allowed on the beach—because there essentially wasn’t one. The waves were washing in all the way to the dunes. No beach walk for me!

A number of people wandered through—most had cameras, others used their cell phones to record the sight. A few brave gulls high-stepped through the wash back.

It was not a day to go swimming. Considering the fact that Ike is a couple of hundred miles away and moving away we are seeing a testament to how much power is contained in the storm.