(WFSA12 News) Many of Florida’s famous beaches were empty Thursday because of a red tide outbreak that for the first time in decades is plaguing both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts at once. While the Gulf Coast has suffered the brunt of the toxic algae outbreak all summer, it only just showed up this week on the Atlantic beaches of South Florida. Miami-Dade County closed Haulover Beach — including a popular nudist section —
early Thursday and the growing crisis prompted Gov. Rick Scott to announce $3 million in state assistance for five counties in the region. “It’s very rare for us to have it over here,” said Lieutenant Matthew Sparling of Miami- Dade Fire Rescue Ocean Rescue. “People come here to be on the beaches and they don’t want to be coming down here to be exposed to red tide or sewage spills or whatnot, … so yeah, I think we can be in trouble. ” READ MORE
