Mississippi’s Beaches Have Been Deemed Safe To Swim And Re-Opened Just In Time For One Last Dip

After months of closures, Mississippi's beaches have finally reopened. And while summer is long gone, our warmer temperatures mean a beach day is still a possibility. Read on for all the deets.

Great news, Mississippi. The beaches on the Gulf Coast are finally open after being closed for nearly the entire summer.

If you remember correctly, beaches across the country, including all 21 along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, had to close due to harmful blue-green algae blooms.

During the closures, the MDEQ advised people and their pets to avoid contact with water in the affected areas, which left the beaches looking like ghost towns.

Pretty dangerous, the toxic algae could cause rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Mississippi’s sweltering summers are pretty unbearable, so having to avoid water contact made this past summer even more brutal than usual.

The closures didn’t prohibit use of the sand portions of beaches. However, visiting a beach during a hot summer day and not getting in the water would be a difficult (if not impossible) feat.

Luckily, all that is behind us. According to the MDEQ, the bloom is still present. However, the cells are dying, so the toxicity level is well below EPA guidelines.

While summer is long gone, our warmer temperatures mean there’s still time for a beach day (or two). You can even take a quick tropical getaway, since the ferry to Ship Island runs until October 27th.

So, do you think you’ll make it to the beach before winter’s arrival? Did the beach closures affect your summer? Tell us in the comments section.

For more information on the ferry to Ship Island, click here.