Guides
What the readings mean, and where they come from. Each one names the agency that owns the facts.
Washington Washington guides →
Razor clam digs: how a date becomes an openingWhy a dig is approved dates on a named beach, not a seasonHow to read a bar reportRestricted, closed, unmanned: what the Coast Guard meansTsunami: what to doThe one nobody will warn you about, where the shaking is the warningShellfish closures, explainedWhy DOH open and WDFW open are two different permissions
Oregon Oregon guides →
How to read a bar reportRestricted, closed, unmanned: what the Coast Guard meansTsunami: what to do, and where to goLocal vs distant, and every town’s evacuation mapShellfish closures, explainedWhy ODA closes by stretch of coast, not countySmall craft advisories and the marine zonesPZZ251 to PZZ356, what each covers
California California guides →
How to read a bar reportRestricted, closed, unmanned: Crescent City, Humboldt Bay, Noyo River and Morro BayTsunami: what to doLocal vs distant, and why the shaking is the warningSmall craft advisories and the marine zonesPZZ356 to PZZ740, and which zone each town opens ontoReading a tide table on this coastGauges, offsets, and the Lost Coast Trail tide rule
Texas Texas guides →
Tsunami: what to do on the GulfWhat an alert means here, and why storm surge is the bigger threatSmall craft advisories and the bay and Gulf zonesWhich bay or Gulf zone each town reads, and what an advisory means in knotsReading a tide table on the GulfSmall tides, big wind, and why the Laguna Madre barely has a tideRoad closures on this coastThe causeways and one-road towns, and which of TxDOT’s words shut the road
Louisiana Louisiana guides →
Tsunami: what to do on the GulfWhat an alert means here, and why storm surge is the bigger threatSmall craft advisories and the lake, bay and Gulf zonesWhich lake, bay or Gulf zone each town reads, and what an advisory means in knotsReading a tide table in LouisianaA small tide, once a day, and why wind and surge move the water more
Mississippi Mississippi guides →
Tsunami: what to do on the GulfWhat an alert means here, and why storm surge is the bigger threatSmall craft advisories and Mississippi SoundThe one zone every town on this coast reads, and what an advisory means in knotsReading a tide table on the Mississippi coastA small tide, once a day, and why wind moves the water moreRoad closures on this coastMDOT’s alerts on US 90, I-10 and the roads between, and what counts as closedFire: what is burning, and burn bansThe Forestry Commission’s county bans, their dates and exemptionsOysters: the season, the areas and the ordersMDMR’s orders opening and closing each harvest areaBeach water: who samples, and what an advisory meansMDEQ’s 21 beaches, and an advisory against a closureFishing: what is open, and the limitsMDMR’s limits and orders, and red snapper weekends
Alabama Alabama guides →
Tsunami: what to do on the GulfWhat an alert means here, and why storm surge is the bigger threatSmall craft advisories, Mobile Bay and the GulfWhich bay, sound or Gulf zone each town reads, and what an advisory means in knotsReading a tide table on Mobile Bay and the GulfA small tide, once a day, and why wind and the rivers move the bay moreRoad closures on this coastALGO Traffic on I-10, US 98 and the beach roads, and what counts as closedFire: what is burning, and burn bansADEM’s May-to-October ban and the Forestry Commission’s ordersBeach water: who samples, and what the colors meanADEM’s 25 sites, and Normal, Elevated and Condition RedOysters: the season, the grids and the closuresMarine Resources’ grids and the Health Department’s closuresFishing: what is open, and the limitsADCNR’s limits, red snapper, and the reef fish that follow federal waters
Florida Florida guides →
Tsunami: what to do on the GulfWhat an alert means on the Panhandle, and why storm surge is the bigger threatSmall craft advisories on the PanhandleWhich bay, sound or Gulf zone each town reads, Mobile’s and Tallahassee’s, and what an advisory means in knotsReading a tide table on the PanhandleA small tide, mostly once a day, four live gauges, and why wind moves the water moreFire: what is burning, and burn bansThe Forest Service’s county bans, a yard debris ban, and the fires reported nearbyBeach water: who samples, and what an advisory meansThe Department of Health’s 75 sites, Good, Moderate and Poor, and when an advisory goes upOysters and clams: the harvest areas and FWC’s rulesFDACS’s daily status by harvest area, and Apalachicola Bay’s permitsFishing: what is open, and the limitsFWC’s Gulf limits, the red snapper calendar, and the seasons FWC sets by order
Georgia Georgia guides →
Tsunami: what to do on the Georgia coastWhat an alert means on the Atlantic, and why storm surge is the bigger threatSmall craft advisories on the Georgia coastWhich coastal waters each town reads, Charleston’s or Jacksonville’s, and what an advisory means in knotsReading a tide table on the Georgia coastA seven-foot tide twice a day, three live gauges, and the marsh creeks that run lateBeach water: who samples, and what an advisory meansGeorgia Healthy Beaches’ 30 sampled beaches, the line at 70, and the permanent advisoriesOysters: the season, the harvest areas and who to callCRD’s summer closure and autumn reopening, its seven recreational harvest areas, and the number to callFire: what is burning, and burn bansWildfires on the interagency list, and the State Forester’s burn ban ordersFishing: what is open, and the limitsCRD’s daily limits, cobia’s season and the 2026 red snapper season
South Carolina South Carolina guides →
Tsunami: what to do on the South Carolina coastWhat an alert means on the Atlantic, and why storm surge is the bigger threatSmall craft advisories on the South Carolina coastWhich coastal waters each town reads, Charleston’s or Wilmington’s, and what an advisory means in knotsReading a tide table on the South Carolina coastEight feet at Beaufort, five and a half on the Grand Strand, two live gauges, and the creeks that run lateBeach water: who samples, and what an advisory meansDES’s 122 stations, short-term and long-term advisories, and the May to October seasonOysters and clams: the season, the grounds and the closuresSCDNR’s season and grounds, SCDES’s management areas, and which water each town readsFire: what is burning, and burn bansWildfires on the interagency list, burning bans and Red Flag Fire AlertsFishing: what is open, and the limitsSCDNR’s daily limits, cobia south of Jeremy Inlet and the 2026 red snapper season