Pensacola Beach officials optimistic

PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. (WALA) - Cloudy skies and heavy winds weren’t enough to stop many beachgoers on Pensacola Beach Monday, despite Tropical Storm Debby still lingering in the gulf.

The conditions were a far cry from the dark skies and huge waves Debby brought on Sunday.

“Right now, we think we’re out of the danger. Debby has gone to the east of us towards Panama City and the big bend area. So I think it’s going to be blue skies from now on, unless it moves back towards us, but experts say that won’t happen,” said Buck Lee with the Santa Rosa County Island Authority.

Beach goers from all over are taking advantage of it.

Melanie Cage and Rose Testerman found out about the storm on their way from Tallahassee.

“We woke up this morning and saw a glimpse of sunshine out the window and said ‘Oh yeah, we’re going to the beach. We’re going to be one of those diehards’,” Cagle said.

Cagle said they’re thrilled with the good weather.

“We definitely lucked out. We’ve seen our fair share of storms, and we just don’t need anymore,” said Cagle.

Lower tides helped officials decrease the beach warning from red to yellow flags, allowing swimmers but urging extreme caution.

Brandon Fields came from Kentucky and said he had no plans to leave even if the storm hit.

“I hope it just stays away. As long as it does that, we’ll have a good time,” Fields said.

Many folks were just enjoying the effects of the storm.

Ike Mims brought his grandchildren to see the waves.

“I wanted my grandkids to see it for the first time so that when they go back to North Carolina, they’ll have something to tell their friends about,” said Mims.

Lee said all signs point towards the worst being over. He said the most damage caused has been erosion on the beach.

“Everybody’s coming back out. Folks that came here on vacation got to sit on their porch and watch the waves Sunday. Now they’re back on the beach and that’s great,” Lee said.

Officials said the erosion could hinder their ability to use beach vehicles to rescue distressed swimmers.