Four months after Hurricane Michael, some Gulf Coast communities are putting up storm warnings. Except they’re about that other storm known as spring break.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have long sought to distinguish themselves as family-friendly spring break destinations, meaning they're not particularly receptive to mass partying by college-age visitors on the beaches or of disturbances of the peace in general. Both communities re-emphasized that stance after 2015, when disturbing incidents in another destination to the east, Panama City Beach, made national news.
Following the events of that year -- which included a video that officials said showed the gang rape of an incapacitated woman as a crowd of bystanders did nothing and a shooting spree at a house party -- Panama City Beach moved to recast itself as a family-friendly destination too. A temporary beach alcohol ban imposed in 2015 became a regular feature in 2016. That led some in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to worry that breakers looking for a new place to raise hell would just shift their reservations westward into Alabama.
Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon talked tough, saying that “If you come here, you better behave, or you’re going to jail. It’s that simple.” He promised that “We will have undercover officers, we will have uniformed officers, we will have everyone I can possibly have on the beaches, any place where spring breakers might gather.”
For 2019, Orange Beach has once again issued an advisory that “If you are looking for a party town, the city of Orange Beach is not it.” The advisory, says that “During Spring break we traditionally experience increases in underage drinking, disorderly conduct and illegal drug use. The Orange Beach Police Department will utilize all available resources at our disposal to maintain order and continue to provide a safe, enjoyable experience for all visitors.”
"If you choose to violate the law," it says, you will go to jail. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING."
Gulf Shores has tended to take a less confrontational line while still making it clear that law enforcement would be on an active footing with regard to underage drinking and violations of beach ordinances. It also used a seasonal alcohol ban on public beaches, which this year will run from March 2 through April 28.
"We're anticipating a little bit of an elongated spring break this year," said Grant Brown, Gulf Shores' director of recreation and cultural affairs. The way schools are scheduling things this year, the season's action will be a little more spread out, he said.
When the 2019 ban came before the Gulf Shores City Council in October 2018, Police Chief Ed Delmore presented the following background information: "During the first several days of spring break 2016 GSPD encountered numerous issues with large groups of spring breakers binge drinking, using illegal narcotics, and creating a dangerous atmosphere for themselves and other visitors. The potential for large scale confrontations with the police officers existed in a very real way. Following the passing of an Ordinance banning alcohol from the beach during spring break, dramatic improvements on our beach occurred immediately."
Brown said there might have been some concern back in 2015-16 that the ban would have a negative economic impact, but that hasn't happened. He said that increased visits from family vacationers seems to have more than offset the loss of any college-age business.
Warnings like those issued by Orange Beach and Gulf Shores don't stop at the state line. The Santa Rosa Island Authority, which oversees Pensacola Beach, has distributed a flier stressing the importance of mutual respect among beach visitors. "Adult beverages are allowed on the beach. Glass containers, underage drinking and public drunkenness are not," it says. "Illegal drugs and driving under the influence will not be tolerated. Laws and ordinances will be strictly enforced, for everyone's safety."
A hundred miles or so east of the state line, Panama City Beach continues to have a big influence on the regional Spring Break picture. The effort to recover from Hurricane Michael may complicate the transition from 2015's mayhem to a family-friendly format -- but it also may accelerate it.
The website pcbeachspringbreak.com is promoting good times: concerts by Lil Jon (March 12) and Afroman (March 18) with alcohol brand Four Loko on board as "the official beverage of Spring Break 2019 in Panama City Beach." On the other hand, one of the area's hottest hot spots, the gargantuan Club La Vela, will be sitting this one out. La Vela, which bills itself as the biggest club in the country, a spot to "party with thousands," is putting out the message on social media that storm damage was a "minor setback for a major comeback" and patrons should "Get Ready for the Biggest Summer!!!"
Panama City Beach and Panama City are separated by Saint Andrew Bay, which is crossed by U.S. 98. In local politics, "west of the bridge" means the beach and business focused on tourism, while "east of the bridge" means a coastal municipality. Catherine Feeney, public relations manager for Visit Panama City Beach, said the beach zone was "pretty much untouched" while the city to the east got hammered.
That has created some interesting dynamics since October, detailed extensively in a report in the Panama City Sun Herald. From October through January, many residents displaced by storm damage -- and many contractors coming in to do recovery work -- were able to take advantage of off-season rates at undamaged vacation rental properties.
But spring break means rates are shooting back up. Meanwhile, tourism officials launched an aggressive marketing effort in the wake of the storm. This raised eyebrows. Some wondered why a community struggling to rebuild would be working to draw in visitors. Proponents of the campaign said that tourism is a huge part of the local economy, and that engine has to be running for the recovery to proceed.
Feeney said that in Panama City Beach, 95 to 100 percent of busineses are up and running. Feeney said that Panama City is kicking off its spring break run with its Mardi Gras celebrations March 1-2, "a real crowd-pleaser" that she said may draw 10,000 people. The two-day event includes a music festival with Lonestar headlining.
Later in the month comes the UNwineD food and wine festival, which Feeney said was created in part to reinforce the concept that Panama City Beach is a destination for adults. She said it's in its third year and nearing a sellout.
Panama City Beach will once again be subject to a ban that prohibits alcohol "on the sandy beach" during the month of March. As for party-hearty spring breakers looking for a place to get wild on the beach, Feeney said "there are plenty of destinations down south" for that kind of thing.
Overall, it looks like things might be relatively quiet on the central Gulf Coast for spring break 2019. Brown, in Gulf Shores, said the news isn't all about efforts to clamp down on rowdiness.
Gulf Shores is also working to complete the third phase of renovations to its public beach, created a more pedestrian-friendly area with new restrooms and other amenities such as a grassy park area and a playground. The city also has worked over the years to keep its beaches clean, requiring visitors to clear off chairs, pavilions and other gear every night and generally pushing a "leave only footprints" mindset.
Demonstrating that the beaches will be both quiet and clean has made the area more attractive to repeat visitors, he said.
“It’s not just the alcohol ban in Gulf Shores,” he said. “All this wave since 2015 has just continued.”