2016-03-10

GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) — Crowds of college students are piling on to Alabama beaches for spring break, and forecasters say they need to be careful because of dangerous surf conditions.

The National Weather Service says there’s a high probability of rip currents from Dauphin Island all the way east to Destin, Florida, through the weekend.

Forecasters also say waves as high as 7 feet are possible, along with beach erosion and coastal flooding in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Increasing rain chances are associated with a weather system that has already caused extensive flooding to the west in Louisiana.

The conditions could put a damper on spring break on Alabama’s coast, where officials say larger-than-normal crowds are possible because of a clamp-down on other beaches including Panama City Beach, Florida.

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