Slim crowd on wet Gulf Shores beach

GULF SHORES, Ala. (WALA) - Gulf shores public beach was pretty bare this afternoon. Tiger Paris said it was a heavy rain shower that cleared folks out.

"We were actually playing volleyball and it came like this huge monsoon I guess. Rain was hitting us, and sand, but then it went away in like ten minutes," Paris said.

Amanda Hall and her family were shopping on Highway 59 when the rain hit. They drove down from the Little River community in northern Baldwin County.

"We were not worried. We said we were close enough that if we needed to pack up and go home, we'd go home. But we decided to come down here and support our beaches, and support the community, and that's what we did," Hall said.

Matthew and Amy Newsome have been married for three years, but they're finally getting around to their honeymoon. The couple said neither Bonnie nor the oil spill would keep them from enjoying a weekend at the beach.

"Whenever we saw it on the news it looked like all the storms were kind of dissipating right when it was hitting the shore. So we felt we could be down here with no problem," Newsome said.

"We got here last night and we went out, and it was very lovely. We came out this morning and spent the day at the beach and it was pleasant. We went in before it started storming and now it's pleasant again," Amy Newsome said.

Folks said they're glad the storm didn't cause any real problems here in Gulf Shores. This weekend those who did come out were just focused on fun.

"We came down here took our chance, because I mean this is our only close part to get away from our town and stuff," Savanah Macoi said.

The double red flags continue to fly indication the water is closed to the public, but that didn't keep some folks out of the surf.

One security guard said there were no reports of oil or tar on the beach Saturday.